


I'm Pride, & He's Prejudice!

by SimplyBe



Category: Pride and Prejudice & Related Fandoms, Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pride and Prejudice Fusion, Dating Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, Eventual Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, F/M, M/M, Prim And Proper, Sassy Stiles Stilinski, Slow Build Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, just plain fun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-09
Updated: 2017-05-21
Packaged: 2018-09-07 13:20:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 25,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8802397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SimplyBe/pseuds/SimplyBe
Summary: AU where the characters of Teen Wolf are the characters from Pride and Prejudice.  Stiles is Elizabeth, Derek is Darcy, Scott is Bingley, Kira is Jane, and Peter is Lady Catherine.  :D  So basically, just enjoy and let your teen fantasies run wild!





	1. New Neighbors

It is a universal truth commonly acknowledged that a single woman must be in search of a husband. Such was the case for Kira Yukimura, the stunning Japanese beauty who dwelt at Yukimura mansion in the Eastern part of England. For eighteen years, she had studied the finer martial arts and weapons training, with the intention of joining the honorable Royal Army after graduating high school. Unfortunately, her mother, Mrs. Yukimura, had other plans, and she had no intention of letting her daughter go off to fight in some silly war that should be left to the men. Kira's father had no opinion whatsoever, but if anyone asked him privately, he probably would have encouraged his daughter, seeing as there was nothing he desired more than seeing his daughter happy.

But I digress.

The whole point of telling you this is not to focus on Kira's life so much as it is to focus on her best friend's life, one Stiles Stilinski, who had grown up in a similar situation as Kira. While he had not been trained in weaponry and martial arts, he had been trained in the finer arts of entertaining and sociality, grooming himself to be a fabulous singer or some other entertainer to keep people occupied while horrible wars raged. And, similar to Kira, his father had no intention of seeing him squander his life on a so-called "wanton display of tomfoolery that has no business permeating our household."

Yes, Stiles had been told this on many an occasion, and he was really sick and tired of it. So sick, as a matter of fact, that he constantly rode out without his father's permission to the local army camps, where the wounded soldiers were recovering, to entertain them with song and dance. Needless to say, his father was furious, but Stiles didn't care. All he wanted was to entertain, and since his mother had encouraged that while she was alive, he wasn't about to let his stuffy old dad, or brother, interfere with said dream.

Stiles' brother. Oh dear, what a pickle! Stiles had never really enjoyed being part of Liam's company. To be clear, Liam Dunbar wasn't actually Stiles' brother, but rather a distant cousin who had come to live with them when he was a mere baby after his parents had died in a fatal carriage accident. He was a forever worrywart and was along the same lines as Stiles' father, that Stiles should settle down with a nice girl and have many children. However, unlike Stiles' father, Liam didn't want this because it would further the Stilinski line, but rather so that it would ensure that he was well taken care of in the future. You see, Liam was lazy as all get out and couldn't be bothered to lift a finger to help around the house, always calling up the overladen servants to do the most menial tasks that they really didn't have time to do. Needless to say, because of this, not much got done around the Stilinski household, which resulted in messes being left everywhere and clutter strewn about the house.

But once again, I digress.

The point is that Stiles was unhappy with is family's intentions for him, and wanted nothing more than to get away from it all. Unfortunately for Stiles, the moment he thought that he would be walking away from his family was the minute that the most unexpected thing happened, something which I shall shortly tell you about.

It all started one sultry afternoon in the summer in the middle of June, if I remember correctly, and Mr. Stilinski was busy polishing his rifles and various other guns while Liam had, in a fit of boredom, had taken to spying on the neighbors with binoculars to pass the time. Stiles was elsewhere, probably frolicking at a nearby pub no doubt. Whatever it was, Mr. Stilinski really didn't want to know.

Suddenly, he was startled from his seating position by a loud cry from Liam, who had jumped up to point at something outside of the window.

"Father," he shouted, for that was what Mr. Stilinski had told Liam to call him as soon as the boy could speak. "Observe! Out there, at Netherfield."

"Boy!" Mr. Stilinski said sternly. "For what reason do you have for shouting so? One slip of my finger and I could have wounded myself mortally. Whatever could be the reason for your outburst?"

"There are people moving into Netherfield!" Liam exclaimed in excitement, peering through the binoculars again. "Ooooh, Father, and they look fabulously wealthy by what is going inside the mansion! Velvet couches....mahogany boudoirs....canopy beds!"

"Calm yourself, boy," Mr. Stilinski said, not unkindly while he placed a hand on Liam's quivering shoulder in an effort to still the boy. "For what should we care how wealthy they are? They are complete strangers, and they probably wish to be left alone. Come away from the window before they catch you peeping at them and make a complete fool of yourself."

"Don't be ridiculous, Papa," Liam said in annoyance, shooing Mr. Stilinski's hand away from his shoulder. "When one has so much wealth at their disposal, they should be prepared for such spying. Besides, this works to my advantage. This could be the most opportune time for us to find a wife for dear Stiles. Don't you think? I can't really tell, but I think I saw a maid taking dresses up. They might have a daughter, and if she's Stiles' age, we might have a chance."

"Your designs to fix up your brother are as useless as they are petulant and childish," said Mr. Stilinski. "In all the years that have passed, Stiles has shown no inclination towards marriage or girls, for that matter. What makes you think that this will be any different?"

"Someone talking about me?" came a voice from the study's doorway. Both Liam and Mr. Stilinski turned to see a fresh-eyed and disheveled-looking Stiles standing before them, grass stains on his riding cloak and dirt on his shirt and bottoms.

"What on earth have you been up to?" asked Mr. Stilinski suspiciously, looking his son up and down.

"Father, dear," Stiles said, stopping to kiss his father on the forehead before turning an expectant look on Liam. "I was out riding with Kira. We had a splendid time, especially when Kira tried to race me and ended up getting knocked off of her horse by a tree branch. I tell you, it was a sight to behold. But alas, I'm home now. What were you talking about?"

"New neighbors," said Liam excitedly, thrusting the binoculars at Stiles, who caught them deftly and lifted them to his face to peer through them out the window. "They're wondrously rich, and I think it would be a good idea to make their acquaintance."

"Well of course you think it's a good idea," said Stiles disparagingly. "You want to be taken care of. I, on the other hand, am of the mind that if they wish to make friends, they can walk over here and meet us themselves. Until then, I shall pay them no never mind."

"A wise decision for once," remarked Mr. Stilinski without looking up.

"Still bitter, Father?" muttered Stiles but not loud enough for Mr. Stilinski to hear. Sighing, he walked across the room towards the door. "Anyways, I am rather tired from my ride and I wish to rest. I shall be up in my room if you need me. Good evening."

"Evening," Liam said absently as Stiles exited the room. He had already turned back to the window, watching as more expensive furniture was loaded into the gigantic Netherfield mansion.


	2. Moving In

Scott McCall watched levelly as the new furniture he had purchased in London was carefully loaded into Netherfield Mansion, the property he had bought not two months ago with his family's inheritance. His mother, Mrs. McCall, was busy directing the servants around the place, making sure that nothing was broken, and his best friend, Derek Fitzwilliam Darcy Hale, was skulking about somewhere.

Honestly, sometimes Scott did not know what he would do about Derek. A self-proclaimed confirmed bachelor, Derek would never bat his eyes at any girl or boy who passed his way, always keeping his gaze straight ahead and his mind trained for business. It tired Scott no end. He himself had a mind for marriage, but Derek was the exact opposite, repulsed at the idea of settling down with a nice girl or boy and absolutely hateful towards romantic and loving feelings in general. No matter how many balls and social gathering Scott dragged Derek to, the other man would refuse to interact with anyone, always resigned to stay cooped up in a corner, brooding and looking downright miserable.

Which is one of the reasons why Scott had bought Netherfield in the first place. Both he and his mother had put their heads together and thought it would be a good idea to buy a place in the country and expose Derek to rural country life. Maybe then he might grow a bit as an individual and begin to think about settling down. At least that was the hope.

"Scott!" came a loud booming voice from Scott's left side.

"Speak of the devil," Scott muttered as he turned to see the ruggedly handsome rascal running towards him.

"Those idiots that you call servants just dropped an entire case of fine china. Every piece is shattered! Your mother will be quite displeased. I would be surprised if she doesn't go into a fainting spell when she finds out."

"Then I guess we'll have to make sure she never finds out," Scott said drily, eyeing his best friend up and down. "I do say, Derek, you seem to be enjoying country life. Is that a glow in your cheeks and a sparkle in your eyes I detect?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Derek scoffed, folding his hands behind his back and fixing a penetrating stare on Scott. "The only reason why I am here in the first place is at your request to help you move in to this wretched, broken-down place. I assure you that once my duties have been fulfilled here, I shall return to London, where I shall remain until my dying day. This place is incredibly dull and boring. Listen, Scott. There's nothing but silence. I honestly don't know how you're going to stand it!"

"By making friends with the neighbors, of course," Scott remarked, gesturing to the Victorian homes that dotted the countryside. "I have plans to visit them once we have settled in."

"Whatever would you want to do that for?" Derek asked with a sneer, lifting his nose up in distaste. "I can tell you right now that they will be nothing more than country bumpkins, intent upon their own social well-being and opportunistic as all get out. It would be best for you to keep to yourself and make sure none of them get too close."

"Derek, for someone who enjoys city life, it never ceases to amaze me how anti-social you are," Scott remarked quickly. "And as far as you returning to London, I wouldn't hold out too much hope for that for a while. From the looks of it, it will take us another two weeks at least to be completely moved in, and you know that I am completely lost without you."

"A reminder is unnecessary," Derek said. "But really, Scott, you must learn to fend for yourself sooner or later. I cannot always be around to protect you from the social-climbing frivolous maidens who would seek to make you their husband simply to drain your pocketbook."

"Derek, you overestimate these women," Scott chided. "Most of them are quite lovely, and how can I expect to find a wife if I do not make friends with women?"

Derek shook his head. "Your intent on finding a wife is as puzzling to me as ancient Chinese riddles. Why would you want the added responsibility of a family? Surely there are much better things to do with your life than tie yourself down to a nagging wife and squalling brats."

"I'm afraid we will have to agree to disagree on this one, Derek," Scott said with a sigh. Perhaps changing Derek's opinions would be harder than he thought.

"At any rate," Scott continued, "In a few days, I will be hosting a ball here as a sort of housewarming party to meet the new neighbors, so the point is moot for now."

"Now why would you want to go and do such a deplorable thing as that?" Derek said with a snort. "Inviting people into your house to nose through your things and make complete and utter fools of themselves with the punch."

"Ah, but that's half the fun," Scott said with a grin. "I am eager to get to know these people. And you'll be there to entertain me if I get too bored, so I don't see the problem."

"I assure you that I shall NOT be there," Derek said stubbornly, folding his arms in front of him and staring at Scott expectantly. "What do I care for parties and social gatherings?"

"Suit yourself," Scott said airily. "But if you don't come along, then there's a very real possibility that I shall meet a nice young woman and then I will be a lost cause forever. From there on in, you will be doomed to be in my servitude for the rest of your earthly years, for I shall make you the best man at my wedding and the godfather of my children and their guardian when I am away."

"Scott, you evil thing," said Derek, narrowing his eyes angrily. "I shall forever hate you for this."

"That's the spirit," Scott said cheerfully, as he watched Derek storm off. 'Oh dear,' he thought to himself as he turned back to watch the servants. 'This is going to be a party to remember.'


	3. The Ball

When Mrs. Yukimura received an invitation in the mail for her and her family to attend the ball being thrown at Netherfield that evening, she almost swooned. Her biggest dreams were about to come true! It had been roughly a week since Mrs. McCall and her handsome son had moved into Netherfield Mansion, and news of their fabulous wealth and stunning good looks had already spread through the neighborhood. Already Mrs. Yukimura had overheard several conversations between her luncheon friends about how they were planning to fix up their own daughters with the handsome McCall boy. She had played along, wishing them all good luck and proclaiming that "may the best girl win" while privately plotting to destroy them all when her daughter got to the altar with the boy first. And since she knew whom she was competing with, she knew that the other mothers in the countryside would be doing the same thing with their own daughters.

Which is why Mrs. Yukimura had, as soon as Kira came home from her daily ride, had practically shoved her daughter into a fancy golden ball gown that accentuated her "assets" and shoved her out the door in the direction of Netherfield, only giving a shocked Kira the explanation that her future depended on the events of the night before slamming the door in her face.

Needless to say, Kira was quite puzzled by her mother's incredibly insane antics, and rather than go to Netherfield as her mother had ordered, she quickly made her way to Stilinski Manor to consult with Stiles about the strange way her mother was behaving.

Imagine her surprise at entering Stilinski Manor only to find Stiles decked out in a luxurious white tuxedo and black bowtie, ready to be shown out the door by his disgruntled-looking father, who looked like he was about ready to lose his temper.

"Goodness, Stiles!" Kira cried out upon seeing her best friend dressed to the nines. "Are you attending the Netherfield Ball tonight?"

"Sadly, yes," Stiles remarked grimly as his father helped fasten his cufflinks. "I received the ghastly invitation this afternoon, shortly before your mother came to call and ordered my father to make me go along with you as your chaperone. Father didn't see the need for me to attend, but your mother insisted, so here I am, ready to escort you to the ball."

"Where's Liam?" Kira queried, peering around for the younger lad, who would normally have been peeping around a corner to get a glimpse at the lavishness ready to go sailing out the door. "You would think he would be in a delirious state that you're attending the biggest event of the season."

"Initially, he was," Stiles said, waving his father off, who quickly departed for some other room of the house. "But that was when he thought he would be attending too," he continued with a dramatic roll of his eyes. "When Father forbid it, he threw a tantrum that rocked the house and has been pouting in his room ever since."

"Poor thing," Kira said regretfully with a shake of her head.

"Indeed," Stiles said drily before extending his arm to Kira for her to hold onto. "Shall we?"

"We shall," she said, taking his arm and walking out the door with him. Together, they walked the silent stretch of land that separated Stilinski Manor from Netherfield. At the door, they were greeted by two servants, who politely took Kira's handbag and put it in a corner with everyone else's. From the look of the pile, Stiles and Kira speculated that every girl from here to London County was present at the ball.

"Promise you shall not let go of my arm the entire night," Kira said nervously. "I fear that I should be swept away by the madding crowd and never seen again."

"Don't worry, Kira, my dear," Stiles said, leading Kira into the middle of the ballroom floor, where dozens of couples were busy spinning around in a waltz. "You and I shall not part this evening."

Five minutes later, Stiles lost Kira, although, to be fair, it wasn't his fault. No sooner had they begun dancing with the crowd, Kira had been approached by a nervous and handsome young suitor, whose name escaped Stiles, and then the next thing he knew she had been whisked away. Despite what Kira might have thought about herself, Stiles knew that she was a beautiful young girl who, with the proper exposure, would most surely find a husband. As a result, he wasn't too worried when he saw her being twirled around the floor, quite delirious and out of breath but looking quite entertained. Stiles, in the meantime, not interested in dancing, had politely excused himself from the floor and had resigned himself to sitting in a chair in the corner for the rest of the night, content to watch as the couples twirled around and around all night.

Meanwhile, Scott McCall had been in a complete state of nervousness, befit a woman, as soon as Ms. Yukimura crossed the threshold into his house. His mother had silently encouraged him to ask her to dance, but too embarrassed at the prospect of making a fool out of himself, he had stayed in the sidelines, content to watch her as she passed from suitor to suitor. Derek, in true Hale fashion, had made merciless fun of him, even going so far as to point and laugh at Scott when the younger man tripped over his own feet and went flying into the window curtains while trying to keep Kira in his sights.

"My friend," Derek said with mirthless laughter. "How foolish you are! The lass does not even know you exist! Why do you make such an idiot out of yourself?"

"Derek, you couldn't possibly understand," said Scott distractedly. "I do believe that girl might be the one for me."

"Don't be stupid," Derek said with a roll of his eyes. "All of these girls are cows or insects, two things I could most happily do without."

"Derek, that is most unkind of you to say," said Scott, eyeing his friend in disapproval. "Why speak in such a vitriolic tone? Has one of the guests done you wrong? Insulted you? Why are you in such a foul mood?"

"Scott, it disgusts me to see such blatant displays of wanton flirting and matchmaking going on. If only people could let affairs such as love and marriage take their proper course without interference, this society would be a far better place."

"You mean to say that there is no boy or girl here who catches your eye? No one at all?" Scott asked incredulously. "Surely there is someone here who you must like in a remote fashion."

"My friend, you are quite wrong," Derek said with a smug smile. "While there are some mediocrely attractive faces in tonight's crowd, none are beautiful enough to tempt me from my viewpoints."

"Impossible!" Scott cried. "I refuse to believe that! What about that handsome companion of hers? The one who accompanied her here? Did you not think him to be attractive?"

"Which one?" Derek asked.

"You know, the boy with the freckles," Scott said, very much vexed at Derek's stubborn attitude. "As a matter of fact, he sits there in the corner right behind you. Tell me, what do you think of him?"

Derek took a moment to look at Stiles, until, catching the other man's eye, quickly turned away and faced Scott again. "His face is not unpleasant, to be sure, but not nearly handsome enough to sway me towards him. Besides, I am not in the mood to give hope to a young man whom I have no interest in. Why give him a false sense of well-being towards me? Besides, I am of the mind that he is probably as idiotic as any other dancer at this ball, and I do not wish to engage in mindless chatter with a feather. Now, Scott, enough of this farcical topic. Go ask your lady to dance, or do not. It is of no consequence to me what you do, but please leave me out of your tumultuous feelings."

Thus the conversation was ended, with Scott heeding Hale's advice and finally getting up the courage to ask Ms. Yukimura to dance, which she eagerly accepted with a happy heart. She would never tell her mother this, but she actually found the young McCall to be quite handsome and had secretly entertained thoughts of him courting her.

On the other side of the dance floor, Stiles had had the unfortunate luck to have overheard Mr. Hale's disparaging remarks about him, leaving Stiles with no feelings of goodwill towards the other man. However, Stiles was nothing if not amicable, and later told the story to his friends with much good humor. Unfortunately, Mrs. Yukimura, who held Stiles as dearly as if he was her own son, was not as good-humored about Mr. Hale's remarks about him. While Stiles' father had shown no feelings whatsoever over Mr. Hale's rudeness, Mrs. Yukimura had quickly told all of her luncheon friends the body of the conversation, always ending the story in the same manner.

"I can assure you," she would say in a haughty tone as her friends looked on in wonder, "that Stiles does not lose much by not suiting Mr. Hale's fancy, for he is a most disagreeable, horrid, and dishonorable man, not at all worth pleasing. And Stiles wasn't the only one insulted at the party! Mr. Hale acted so high and so conceited that no one could endure him for very long. From what I heard, he walked round and round the ballroom, fancying himself to be the best-looking fellow there, but in truth not being at all handsome enough to even dance with, not even by Stiles himself, who sat in a corner alone all night long! I wish all of you could have been there to see how silly he acted! You would have come to detest him as much as I do now! But the good news is that young Mr. McCall danced with Kira! Twice! I see wonderful things in their futures!"


	4. The Observation

The day after the assembly at Netherfield, Kira managed to steal way from her mother's constant tittering to visit Stiles at Stilinski Manor in the afternoon. He received her warmly, and the two set about to talk about the previous night's events, but due to Liam's spying eyes and invasive ears, were forced to take their conversation out to the garden where they would not be disturbed.

It was there that Kira began to gush over the young McCall's attention to her the previous night.

"I do say, Stiles," she said as her cheeks glowed red with embarrassment and happiness. "He is unlike any other young man that I have ever met. He is sensible, good-humored, well-mannered, and handsome to top it all off! I never would have expected him to be so polite to me. Asking me to dance! Twice! No other lady at the assembly received such compliment as that!"

"And why shouldn't he have asked for your hand twice that night?" Stiles asked with an arched eyebrow as the two continued to wander the spacious gardens that surrounded Stilinski manor. "Anyone could see that you were easily five times as pretty as any other lady there. No wonder he asked you to dance twice! That is the difference between you and I, Kira. Compliments always take you by surprise, but they never take me by surprise. Every time someone gives you the slightest compliment, you act as if it is the most unnatural thing in the world, whereas I can see that it is just an affirmation of what you really are. Well, at any rate, the young McCall seems to be a very gallant, and most agreeable, young man. I give you my leave to like him, seeing as you have liked many a stupider person in the past!"

"Why, Stiles!" Kira cried with wide eyes. "What makes you say such a thing?"

"Dear Kira," said Stiles with a kind smile. "Your problem is that you are too apt to like people when you meet them. In your eyes, everyone is good and wholesome, and you forgive all wrongs they do. I, on the other hand, hold a more realistic viewpoint and will judge people accordingly to their actions. As a matter of fact, I have never heard you speak ill of anyone in your entire life!"

"If you have not heard me say such things, then it is because I am not quick to condemn anyone before they have a chance to prove themselves. But make no mistake, my dear Stiles, I will speak my mind when I wish."

"Oh, I have no doubt about that," said Stiles, waving his hand in dismissal. "And I did not mean to insult your character with my statement. I just meant that you seem to ignore the bad in a person in favor of the good, even if that is a dominating part of their personality. For instance, young McCall's cousin, Braeden Bingley, you like her, eh? Her manners are certainly not equal to his."

"Of course not. I did not like her...at first," Kira admitted. "But upon conversing with her, I found her to be a most pleasing woman. She told me that she intends to stay with her cousin and keep his house, and I do not think myself to be mistaken when I say that she will prove to be a most agreeable neighbor to all of us."

"Perhaps," Stiles said, eyes narrowing slightly before lapsing into silence. He too had observed Miss Braeden's behavior at the assembly, but his ability to be more quick in his observations and less congenial than his friend in said observations had made him far less disposed to approve of the young lady. Despite the fact that Miss Braeden was a very refined young lady, she was indeed quite proud, conceited, and frivolous. She was the type of girl who would be in the habit of spending more than she ought and associating with people of rank, giving her the false idea that she could think well of herself and meanly of others. In short, Stiles did not like Miss Braeden at all, and the only reason why he tolerated her being in his conversation with Kira was because of Miss Braeden's close relationship with her cousin, the young McCall. And after hearing a whispered conversation at the ball last night, Stiles knew that Braeden had her eyes set on McCall's best friend, Mr. Derek Hale.

Stiles opinion of Mr. Hale had also been set in a less than favorable fashion after overhearing Mr. Hale's quite rude conversation with Mr. McCall, but if that wasn't enough, then reports from the other young girls who had attended the ball were enough to push Stiles' strong dislike for Mr. Hale into an out-and-out hatred for him. From both observation and account, Stiles knew that Hale was equally as haughty and conceited as Miss Braeden was, made even worse so by his rude manners and his constant habit of giving offense to everyone who made his acquaintance. He was most disagreeable, finding no joy in any type of situation, no matter what the outcome of said event was. While McCall had thoroughly enjoyed the assembly at Netherfield, going about the room and dancing with every girl until he was acquainted with everyone, Hale had stayed stiff and sour the entire night long, finding no beauty or elegance in anyone present, and giving attention and pleasure to no one. Even Kira he condemned, saying that while she was a tolerable girl, she smiled too much! Luckily, his opinion of Miss Yukimura did not affect McCall's favorable view of her, and because Miss Braeden had shown no ill will towards Kira, it made McCall's eyes sparkle all the more whenever he saw the pretty Asian girl.


	5. The Martins

Now there was a family, called the Martins, who lived not far from the Yukimuras and the Stilinskis, and they were well-acquainted with both families. Mrs. Martin, her husband, and her beautiful daughter, Lydia, had come to live at their residence, Martin Lodge, after Mr. Martin had grown weary of city life (seeing as he was a businessman by trade) and decided that a change of scenery would do the family good. Mr. Martin had quickly adapted to the new life, and soon enough, he had extended the olive branch to all the families in the neighborhood. Everyone had treated them cordially, and it would have been a difficult task to undertake to find anyone within a mile of Meryton who did not have at least a slight fondness for the Martin family. In particular, they got along famously with the Yukimuras and the Stilinskis and hardly a weekend went by without one of the families paying a visit to the other. As a matter of fact, Lydia was Stiles' most endeared friend, and they shared their darkest secrets with one another.

Needless to say, due to the families' closeness with one another, it was simply natural that both the Stilinskis and the Yukimuras should pay a visit to the Martins a few days after the assembly at Netherfield to discuss the night's events. After all, Lydia Martin had been there as well as Kira and Stiles, and whilst they had had a few minutes to chat with each other, the rest of the evening had been far too busy for each of them to talk in depth with one another.

The company that arrived at Martin Lodge in the morning consisted of Stiles and his father and Kira and her mother, and they wasted no time in sitting down to tea with the family Martin.

"I couldn't help but hear, Lydia," remarked Mrs. Yukimura as she and her daughter sat down at table with the rest of the company, "that you were McCall's first choice to dance at the assembly. What a compliment! To receive the first dance with the man of the house!" While Mrs. Yukimura's words were civil to say the least, everyone could tell, even Mr. Stilinski, that there was an underlying tone of jealousy flowing through her voice.

"Yes, a tremendous compliment," Lydia agreed with a slight nod of her head, her red hair bobbing around her shoulders. "But alas! not the compliment that mattered! For he seemed to like his second dance more than his first, so much even that he went for a third with her."

"Oh, you mean Kira!" exclaimed Mrs. Yukimura with a slight detection of smugness in her voice before abruptly turning falsely humble. "Well, if you say so. Unfortunately, I was not there to see it, seeing as I wanted Kira to experience the ball without any interference from myself. You do know how I hate to meddle in my child's affairs!"

Kira gave a slight scoff, but said nothing.

Mrs. Yukimura continued. "But from what I heard, apparently it is as you say. At least, it seemed so. I did hear something about it...something about Mr. Robinson, but I can't recall what it was nor can I swear by it, seeing as it was a second-hand account."

"I know what you speak of," said Lydia calmly. "Mr. Robinson approached McCall in the middle of the assembly and began asking him every sort of question, right down to who McCall thought to be the prettiest girl there, to which McCall most assuredly did say (for I heard it with my own ears) that he thought the young Ms. Yukimura to be the most charming, attractive girl that he had ever seen!"

"My word!" Mrs. Yukimura said with a fake gasp (for she had already heard the account but maliciously wanted to flaunt it in Mrs. Martin's presence). "What a tremendous thing to say about my own daughter! Well, then it does seem as if McCall fancies my girl above all others."

"So it would appear," piped up Mrs. Martin in quite the clipped tone.

Mrs. Yukimura fixed an incredibly fake look of sorrow on her neighbor. "I deeply apologize, my friend," she said, patting Mrs. Martin's hand reassuringly. "But you understand that this is exciting news! Of course, it could all come to nothing, but why dwell on such an unpleasant thought."

"True," interrupted Lydia before a fight could break out between the two dominating ladies. "But on another subject, tell me Stiles, is Mr. Hale as unpleasant to behold as I have heard him made out to be? From all accounts, it would appear as if he was quite the rude young man. To think that he would call you only 'tolerable'."

"Hush, Lydia!" Mr. Stilinski suddenly interjected, taking the entire group by surprise. "Please refrain from putting it into my son's head that he should be vexed by some disagreeable man's testimony regarding his appearance."

"Mr. Stilinski is most correct," remarked Mrs. Yukimura. "As a matter of fact, I pity the poor fellow who is actually liked by Mr. Hale. I heard from Mrs. Long last night that she sat next to Mr. Hale at the dinner portion of the assembly, and he spoke not a word to her the entire night!"

"Mother, don't be dramatic," Kira said. "I was there, and I saw them in the midst of a conversation."

"Don't take me so literally, dear," said Mrs. Yukimura disparagingly. "I am not stupid enough to think that he would completely ignore her. But she said that when she finally did engage him in conversation, he was so aggressive and hostile towards her harmless questions, it would have been better if he had not spoken at all."

"That I can attest to," Kira said, satisfied. "My friends have told me that Mr. Hale only speaks agreeably with his intimate friends, and with no one else."

"Nonsense," said Mrs. Yukimura with a wave of her hand. "If that were true, he would have had the common courtesy to at least be polite to Mrs. Long instead of insulting her with his blatant rudeness."

"But Mrs. Long is not an intimate friend of his," Kira said.

"Be that as it may," said Mrs. Yukimura in exasperation, upset at her daughter's role of devil's advocate for the young Hale boy. "Perhaps it would not have been so horrendous if he had not told everyone that Mrs. Long did not own her own personal carriage, and was forced to rent one for the evening."

"And where the devil did he hear that?" asked Mr. Stilinski. "It is at this that I draw the line. A young man is free to act as he wishes, but to spread falsehoods is a mark of cowardice."

"Father, do not take Mrs. Yukimura at her word," said Stiles, reaching to pet his father's arm reassuringly. "For it was not Mr. Hale who started the rumor, but Mrs. Long herself."

"Stiles, be quiet!" cried Mrs. Yukimura. "You know not of what you speak."

"With all due respect," said Stiles meekly. "But Mrs. Long's daughter told me just this morning that her mother started this rumor so that McCall would have pity upon their family and sway his favor towards her."

"Well, of all the..." Mrs. Yukimura said, eyes wide as dinner plates.

"Regardless of how Mr. Hale treated Mrs. Long," joined in Lydia, looking to defuse the tension at the table. "I still wish that he would have danced with Stiles at least once. Poor Stiles was alone all night. It made me so sad to see him so."

"Save your tears, dear lady," said Mr. Stilinski in satisfaction, leaning back to take in his son, who had remained remarkably quiet all of this time. "If Mr. Hale seeks to be as disagreeable as he is, then Stiles loses nothing by not dancing with him."

"Aye," said Mrs. Yukimura with a stiff nod. "I would not dance with him, if I were you, Stiles."

"I can assure you all," said Stiles with a small smile, "that I will never seek to dance with that proud man."

"His pride is not as offensive to me as pride normally is," remarked Lydia. "As a matter of fact, for someone brought up so well with so much wealth, he certainly has a right to be proud."

"I couldn't agree more," said Stiles, and for a second, it was almost as if he spoke with sadness in his voice. "And I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not severely wounded mine."

"A pox to pride," cried Mr. Stilinski, more lively than anyone had seen him before. "If I were as wealthy as Hale, I would not hesitate to keep as many hounds as I wish and drink a bottle of wine every day."

"You would not," said Mrs. Yukimura, who had heard many a similar thing come from the mouth of her husband. "For if I were to see you acting in such a deplorable manner, I should take the bottle away from you and hang you out to dry."

Mr. Stilinski retorted that she would not have the right to do such a thing, to which Mrs. Yukimura replied that she would, and the argument only ended when the wearied daughter and son of the two respective families bid each other good day, said goodbye to the Martins, and then dragged their parents back to their houses.


	6. A Beginning Attraction

It had been roughly two weeks since the McCalls had moved into Netherfield, and within such a short span of time, young Kira had managed to, through her good manners and polite behavior, immensely charm both Mrs. McCall and Braeden Bingley as well as the young McCall himself. They held her in state of good will and viewed her to be a very intelligent and beautiful young lady. Their opinion of her family and friends, however, was quite in contrast to their opinion of her. They viewed her mother as intolerable and her friends as not worth speaking to, with the only exception being Stiles himself. While Kira was delighted at such attention and took it all in good humor, Stiles still saw shallowness in Mrs. McCall's and Braeden's treatment of everybody else, looking down at them with unnecessary haughtiness and derision. As a result, Stiles could not bring himself to like them. In fact, Stiles was almost entirely sure that the only reason why they tolerated himself was because of Kira's undying friendship and devotion to him, one that would never be broken, not even for a potential mate.

One thing that Stiles could not deny, however, was that Mrs. McCall's and Braeden's kindness towards his best friend was most certainly related to Mr. McCall's fondness for the young Asian girl. Anyone could see whenever the two met (and they had met each other quite a bit since that first time) that they were extremely fond of one another and sought nothing more than to be in the other's company. From Stiles' own observations, he had come to the conclusion that Kira, in the short span of two weeks (for that was how long it had been since the McCall's had moved into Netherfield) was swiftly falling in love with the McCall boy. He was not worried, though. He knew that Kira, while she was susceptible to prematurely strong feelings, united them with immense composure so as not to tip her hand. Stiles mentioned this one day to Lydia during an afternoon carriage ride.

"In the long run, that may work against Kira," remarked Lydia in response, rubbing her chin wisely. "Stiles, you above all people must know that if a woman conceals her affection for a man too well, then it shall indeed remain unnoticed and she will end up alone in the dark, with the man quite oblivious to her true intentions for him. It is not a wise decision to leave fate to itself. The problem with young women is that they know how to BEGIN well enough, flirting and batting their eyes shamelessly in a wanton attempt to garner a man's attention, but once they have said attention, they become coquettish and shy, leaving the man with no clue as to how to approach her. An intelligent woman will show more affection to a man than he shows to her. Indeed Bingley is quite fond of your sister, but I fear that he may never come to like her more if she doesn't help him along with it."

"But my dear Lydia," argued Stiles. "She DOES help him, as much as is appropriate for a young lady. I have seen it with my own two eyes. And if I can see her attempts to win him over, then McCall must indeed be an idiot not to."

"You forget, Stiles," said Lydia knowingly. "McCall does not know your friend as you do. You have the advantage of having known her for years. He has only known her for two weeks. How on earth could he have come to know her disposition the way that you have come to?"

"Disposition be hanged," said Stiles with a laugh. "Kira has not endeavored to hide her feelings about McCall. He would be a dimmed fool to have not figured it out by now. They spend enough time together."

"You are incorrect in that statement, dear Stiles," said Lydia. "Surely they do meet often enough, but only at mixed parties and public events. Certainly these are not occasions during which they can converse in a meaningful manner. As of now, their attraction is purely surface-related, nothing more. If I were Kira, I would spend every spare moment with McCall and never letting him out of my sight. Once I had him secured in my grasp, I would then have the leisure to fall in love as I choose."

"Your plan is a good one," said Stiles in admiration. "But alas, Lydia! Your plan relies solely on knowing completely what you are feeling at all times as well as the character of your potential partner. In the heat of the moment with a stranger, you would be as clueless as Kira is. Remember that she has only known him for a fortnight. All that she has had time to do is dance with him, briefly visit him at his house, and dine with him a handful of times."

"The way you say it makes it sound as if they are nothing more than strangers!" cried Lydia. "True, if they had only DINED together, I would agree that the only thing she would know about him was how good his appetite is, but since they have spent four evenings together (regardless of how many guests were there), we can only speculate that much has been spoken and discovered in those four evenings."

"Yes, I agree," said Stiles jokingly. "They have uncovered the dramatic information that both prefer blackjack to poker and lamb to pork. But as far as characteristics go, I would presume that not much has been revealed."

"Well, that aside," said Lydia with a sigh. "I do wish Kira luck in her endeavor, and I hold firm that if she married him tomorrow, she would be very happy for the rest of her life, despite how little she knows of him."

"Lydia, you make me laugh!" Stiles said with a wide smile. "You know as well as I do that you would be mortified at the thought of behaving in such a way yourself."

Lydia said nothing, which only made Stiles laugh even more. Needless to say, by the time Stiles went home, Lydia was well ready to be rid of him.

Now, as it so happened, Stiles was so occupied with observing Kira's relationship with McCall that he was completely unaware of himself being the subject of someone else's affection, that someone shockingly being none other than the judgmental Mr. Hale!

At the ball, he had barely allowed Stiles to be handsome, and over the course of two weeks, their next meetings had ended only in him mentally criticizing the poor boy even more. However, no sooner had he convinced himself and his friends that there was nothing about Stiles that was remarkable in the least, he strangely began to find that the boy's countenance was rendered intelligent by the beautiful expression of his dark brown eyes. More such discoveries began to find Mr. Hale, each one more mortifying than the last. While in the beginning, Derek had found Stiles' form to be awkward and bird-like, he now found it to be light and pleasing to the eye. And while he still held the young Stilinski's manners to be not suitable for fashionable conversation, he could not help but acknowledge that they were extremely playful and good-natured. To his utter shock, he began to find himself wanting to know more about Stiles, which resulted in him taking part in conversations that Stiles was a part of. At long last, Stiles finally took notice of Mr. Hale's odd behavior at a festive gathering that Mr. Martin had thrown together.

"Lydia, my dear," said Stiles, parting from the festivities long enough to talk to his friend privately. "Whatever does Mr. Hale mean by eavesdropping on my conversation with Colonel Forster just now?"

"I'm afraid that you must ask Mr. Hale this question, for I am without an answer," said Lydia, taking a cautious sip from a glass of champagne that she had snagged from a nearby waiter. She was not nearly old enough to drink as of yet, but she had figured that since everyone was so busy, no one would notice.

"Well, I don't like it," said Stiles huffily. "If he continues to do so, I shall confront him about his deplorable manners, for he has a most satirical eye, and I do think that I would grow to be most afeard of him if I did not speak my mind."

Lydia scoffed and proclaimed that Stiles would not. Stiles, however, soon saw that Hale had indeed closely followed him to where he was currently standing with Lydia, though he was looking away from them and showed no sign that he was interesting partaking in their conversation. Looking defiantly at Lydia, he quickly walked into the Hale boy's line of vision and fixed him with a most friendly smile.

"Mr. Hale," he said in a cordial voice most befitting a man his age. "I can't help but ask, but did you not find that I expressed too much excitement to Colonel Forster just now when he discussed possibly holding a ball in Meryton soon?"

"Aye," said Hale, his eyes narrowing slightly at beholding the young man before him. "As a matter of fact, your excitement was an attitude only suitable to be seen on the countenance of a woman, and no one else. I was not aware that there were men who are as excitable about assemblies as women."

"Mr. Hale, you are severe on me!" cried Stiles, mouth hanging open in mock amazement (though he was indeed unsurprised at Mr. Hale's venomous remarks).

Mr. Hale did not endeavor to reply, but Lydia, coming to the rescue, took Stiles by the hand and looked at him expectantly.

"Come, Stiles," she said. "You have teased me enough for one night. It is your turn to be teased. I shall open the piano, and you shall follow accordingly."

"What a horrible creature you are!" said Stiles as she led him away from Mr. Hale. "And even more horrible friend! Why you always must seek me out to sing and dance is beyond me, for my talent is subpar and not worth listening to. I shall not perform!" Pulling away from his friend, Stiles sought out an empty chaise and sat in it with his back to the crowd, but upon Lydia threatening to cry if he would not, he finally relented and agreed to sing, upon which she squealed and clapped her hands in merriment.

Once again, Mr. Hale had followed Stiles whilst Lydia led him to the piano. Fixing him a subdued stare, Stiles spoke to him once more. "A word of advice, Mr. Hale," he said wearily. "The next time you feel like saying something abhorred, you should remember the old saying to 'keep your breath to cool your porridge'. In the meantime, I shall keep mine to make my song better. Heaven knows I could use the help!"

With that, he quickly turned to the piano, where Lydia had already begun to play. With a deep breath, he began to sing, his beautiful counter-tenor voice rising above the crowd and earning several rounds of applause. Despite the fact that his performance was no means capital in any way shape or form, the room exploded into applause once he was finished and they eagerly demanded an encore, one which he politely declined. Unfortunately, his decline to sing made way for his brother-in-arms, Liam, who could never go without being the center of attention for long. As soon as Stiles had abandoned the piano, Liam took his place and began to sing. Though his singing was better than his brother's, he was far more intent upon gaining applause than pleasing people, which is why his performance was not as well received as Stiles. However, people did begin to dance once he began to play upon the old keys of the piano, and the party resumed quite smoothly, everyone joining in the dance save Mr. Hale.

Unfortunately for Mr. Hale, he was not to receive a reprieve from conversation, seeing as shortly after the dance resumed, Mr. Martin began to engage him in idle talk.

"I do say, Mr. Hale!" Mr. Martin began with a contented sigh. "I do believe dancing to be one of the finest forms of entertainment these days. Do you not agree?"

"Of course, sir," said Hale with condescension dripping from his voice. "Dancing also maintains the advantage of appealing to those in a less than civilized situation. After all, every savage can dance."

Mr. Martin declined to answer, only giving Mr. Hale a soft smile. "Your friend, the young McCall, does perform quite well, though." He indicated to where Scott was busy whirling Kira around the dance floor. "Are you not adept at dancing as well, Mr. Hale?"

"Aye, that I am," said Derek. "But I do not strive to pay compliment to any place by engaging in dancing anywhere. If I can avoid it, I prefer ne'er to dance."

"Never?" cried Mr. Martin. "Nonsense! I never heard of such a thing! But that aside, tell me Mr. Hale, is it true that you are in possession of a house in the city?"

"Yes," replied Derek curtly.

"Ah," said Mr. Martin with a sigh. "I myself wished to set up in the city, but my dear wife was not inclined to do so, so we settled here."

If Mr. Martin hoped to achieve an answer from his companion, he was sorely mistaken, for Mr. Hale offered no response nor any intention to continue the conversation. As a result, Mr. Martin was more than eager to grab Stiles' arm as he passed by to draw him into their little chat.

"Young Stiles!" he cried with a smile. "Pray tell me why you are not dancing? Surely there is someone here who would ask for your hand in a dance? Allow me to introduce to you, my dear Mr. Hale, a very fine and handsome young man whom I am privileged to know. Surely you could not refuse to dance when presented with such delicate beauty and poise?" With that, he took Stiles' hand and offered it to Mr. Hale.

Mr. Hale, though extremely surprised at Mr. Martin's boldness, would not have objected to a dance with the young fellow, but suddenly became even more surprised when Stiles abruptly withdrew his hand and took a few civil steps back.

"Please, Mr. Martin," said Stiles with an air of coolness about him. "The last thing I wish to do right now is dance. Please do not read that I moved this way to beg for a partner. I simply was going for the punch bowl."

Mr. Hale, unfazed by Stiles' stubborn attitude, persisted in asking for his hand in the dance. Unfortunately, neither Mr. Hale nor Mr. Martin could sway Stiles towards a more generous state of mind.

"You are cruel," said Mr. Martin with a mocked air of wounded pride, "to deny this man the pleasure of your company. You excel so at the dance, and while this young man may not thoroughly enjoy it as much as others of us do, I am sure that he would have no objection to giving you a moment of his time, even if it was for one dance."

"Well then it would seem as if Mr. Hale here is all politeness," said Stiles with a smirk.

"Indeed he is," said Mr. Martin. "But Stiles, do you not wonder at his easy complaisance to accept a dance with you? For surely no one could object to such a partner?"

Stiles deigned not to reply, only arching an eyebrow at the two other men before walking away. However, if Stiles thought that his refusal to dance would injure his standing in the young Hale's eyes, it did not. On the contrary, it only strengthened Mr. Hale's opinion that Stiles was a headstrong and stable young man. He continued to bask in these thoughts when he was suddenly accosted by his friend's cousin, Braeden Bingley, who as previously stated, had set her eyes on the young man.

"Derek," said she, for she had come to be quite familiar with him over the years. "You stand here all alone gazing into nothing. May I guess the subject of your reverie?"

"You may, but you would most assuredly guess wrong," replied Mr. Hale, whose eyes were actually fixed on Stiles as he wandered around the room with a cup of punch.

"Let's see," said Miss Bingley, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "You must be thinking about how incredibly boring it would be to pass every evening in such a manner as this, to which I can only tell you that I agree. Did you know that that Ms. Martin, the daughter of Sir Martin, has went and gotten drunk off champagne. She has resorted to tripping on the dance floor and falling asleep on a chaise. She is the laughing stock of the room! I share your opinion that such parties are a menace to society, and we would be far better off alone in a private setting with nothing but books and a fireplace to keep us company."

"You guess wrong, Miss Bingley," replied Derek. "My mind was more agreeably occupied. I was currently thinking about the pleasure that a pair of handsome eyes can bestow upon a man with a single look."

Upon hearing such a suggestive statement, Braeden, prompted by jealousy, immediately began a line of questioning in an effort to find out who had managed to snare the attention of her cousin's friend.

At long last, Mr. Hale only replied with, "It is Mr. Stiles Stilinski."

"Stiles Stilinski?" Braeden cried, doing her best not to laugh hysterically. "What an astonishing revelation! Pray tell me, Derek, when did such an attraction begin and when can I wish the two of you happiness?"

"You are too hasty in judging my attraction," said Derek, unable to keep himself from turning haughty. "Ladies like you are too keen on jumping to conclusions. When a man shows the slightest inclination towards someone, women's imaginations jump to admiration, then to love, and then to marriage. I honestly will never understand you creatures."

"You cannot fool me, no matter what you say, Derek Hale," said Braeden, unfazed by Derek's offensive statement. "The fact that you view the situation so seriously persuades me to think that the matter has already been settled." She suddenly turned very nasty, though Mr. Hale was quite oblivious to the true intentions behind her next words. "And I do so wish you happiness, Derek. You shall have a very charming mother-in-law, for though Stiles' mother died when he was a babe, he is as close to Mrs. Yukimura as if she were his own mother. Be afraid not, my dear Derek. You shall see her often. As a matter of fact, she will probably move into Pemberley with you and your new husband!"

Derek did not reply, and, Braeden, believing herself to have won, walked triumphantly away from him and back into the ball, where she satisfactorily saw a weary Stiles dragging a groggy and nearly unconscious Lydia away from the festivities to the chamber pot where she would most surely stay for the rest of the night to preserve everyone else's sanity.


	7. A Bid For Attention

Now it just so happened that Mr. Stilinski had a brother, a Mr. Phillips, who had a son that was Stiles' age, and his name was Isaac. Both Mr. Phillips and his son would come to pay cordial visits to Mr. Stilinski, Liam, and Stiles at their house, but since both Mr. Phillips and Isaac lived in London, they could not visit often. As a result, whenever the two families got together, they set aside time to venture into town, an activity which both Liam and Isaac enjoyed heartily but Stiles did not. For you see, Isaac was like Liam in the fact that he was very lazy and not intelligent in the slightest. As a result, he and Liam preferred to spend their afternoons visiting the local milliner's shop and browsing for new clothes while Stiles preferred to see what was currently selling at the publishing house. In particular, both Liam and Isaac had a fondness for the militia regiments that would come in and out of town, Liam for the wonder of being a soldier and Isaac for the wonder of being a soldier's husband. Both would engage in frivolous conversations about either the handsomeness or the bravery of the soldiers, and it was upon hearing such a conversation that Mr. Stilinski finally threw his hands up and turned to talk to his brother.

"I do believe, my dear brother, that our children are two of the silliest creatures I have had the displeasure to behold! Listen to how they babble! If I had not known it before this, I would most certainly know it now."

"On this you are quite right, my dear brother," sighed Mr. Phillips. "But do not be overly critical of the children. For they are young, and entitled to dream. I remember such a day when it was the dreams of you and I to go and join the army and fight for our country."

Mr. Stilinski sniffed with disdain. "And silly dreams they were, too. Look what we have become since then. Sensible men with sensible careers. I would hate to think of my own children turning out like so much rubbish."

"Be patient and gentle with them," chided Mr. Phillips. "And do not worry. By the time they reach our age, they will have our level of sensibility. And besides, if one of our children were to become a soldier or marry one with a tidy fortune, who are we to think ill of it? As long as they are happy. Isn't that all that matters?"

Mr. Stilinski didn't bother to reply, resigning to agree to disagree on the subject.

"Papa!" Isaac suddenly cried, running up to his father. "You'll never believe the news I just heard about Colonel Forster and Captain Carter!"

Unfortunately, Isaac was prevented from continuing at the sudden entrance of Ms. Kira and her mother, both quite out of breath and disheveled-looking. With a wild look in her eye, Kira demanded to know of Mr. Stilinski where Stiles was. He quickly directed her to where Stiles was standing, in the corner of the book store with the latest French novel clutched in his hand like it was his life line to this mortal earth.

"Stiles, my friend," Kira said with a beaming smile.

"Kira!" Stiles exclaimed, returning the smile with equal amounts of enthusiasm. "Whatever is the reason for you looking so distraught? Is something the matter?"

"Go on, Kira," urged on Mrs. Yukimura, who had followed Kira to where Stiles was standing. "Read it to him."

"Read what to me?" queried Stiles while Kira fished something out of the pocket of her dress.

"Kira received a letter today with the Netherfield seal on it," said Mrs. Yukimura with a sniff of disdain. "I counseled her to read it right away, but she wanted to read it in front of you."

"So you are unaware of the letter's contents?" Stiles said, to which he only received a nod.

"Ah, here it is!" cried Kira, pulling out the letter and quickly opening it with a happy smile. "I shall read it to the both of you, for I read it privately before coming here."

"Go on! Go on!" urged Mrs. Yukimura impatiently. "Do not keep us waiting, my dear!"

"'My dear friend,'" Kira recited as she gazed down at the piece of paper in her hand. "'I find myself with the necessity to implore you to find it within your compassion to dine with me and my cousin's mother today, for if you do not, then we shall be in danger of engaging in a tete-a-tete that will leave us both with bitter feelings towards the other. Fear not of the boys' presence for they are dining with the officers today and shall not return until late evening. Yours truly, Miss Braeden Bingley.'"

With a contented sigh and a flourish of the letter, Kira finished and then lifted her gaze to look expectantly at Stiles.

"Well?" she said. "What should I do?"

"Well obviously you must go at once," piped up Mrs. Yukimura before Stiles could get a word in edgewise.

"Then you will permit me the use of the carriage this afternoon?" asked Kira.

"Don't be absurd, Kira," said Mrs. Yukimura. "You shall go on horseback, for I can see that it is likely to rain and then you will be forced to stay the night."

"Schemer!" Stiles suddenly said with a harsh laugh. "I would think your plan to be a clever one if I wasn't absolutely sure that they will offer to send Kira home in one of their own carriages, regardless of how she arrives to them!"

"No danger of that," said Mrs. Yukimura with a smirk. "For logic deduces that since the men are out today, they will have no carriages to spare for Kira, and by the time they return, the horses will be far too exhausted to do anything but stay in the stable."

"Mother, I hardly think riding on horseback is a good idea," said Kira, almost in a wail. "I do not wish to get wet. Despite this warm weather, I am likely to catch a cold!"

"Kira, don't be contrary and do as I say!" said Mrs. Yukimura, hands on her hips. "Your future depends on this!"

Kira shared a look of worry with Stiles, but silently allowed her mother to lead her away from the scene. Later that afternoon, she set off for Netherfield on horseback, with her mother wishing her a bad day all the way. As it happened, Mrs. Yukimura's prayers were answered, and not long after Kira had departed, it began to rain buckets, and it did not stop even as evening came and went. Needless to say, Stiles was worried sick about the welfare of his friend, but Mrs. Yukimura was delighted, clapping her hands in joy and remarking how her plan had been one of genius. Unfortunately, Kira's prognosis for catching a cold was quite correct, for the very next morning (and mind you it was a very bright and sunny morning) a footman from the Netherfield Mansion dropped by the Stilinski mansion with a letter for Stiles. Opening it, his eyes grew wider upon beholding every word.

'My dear Stiles,' it began. 'It would appear as if I am not feeling very well today, something which I attribute to being out in the rain yesterday. I do hope mother is happy with herself. I swear I could cuff her on the ears for this, Stiles. If one good thing has come from this is Miss Bingley's and Mrs. McCall's refusal to allow me to leave until I am well again. They have insisted that I see their doctor, a Mr. Deaton, so do not be alarmed if you hear that he has been to see me. Besides a minor headache and a scratchy throat, there is not much the matter with me. I shall see you soon. Love, Kira.'

Stiles was furious upon finishing the letter. The fact that Mrs. Yukimura should carelessly place his best friend in harm's way made his blood boil. Who did she think she was? Which is why Stiles went straight to Yukimura mansion with the letter still clutched in his hand and brandished it before Mrs. Yukimura upon barging into her receiving parlor.

"If Kira should develop pneumonia or even die from this, at least it will come as a consolation to you that it was in pursuit of Mr. McCall's affection!" he cried in sarcasm, throwing the note into Mrs. Yukimura's plate of bread and jam.

"Stiles, behave yourself!" Mrs. Yukimura scolded sharply before softening her expression. "And don't be so dramatic. If Kira's life had been in any real danger, I should not have sent her. She shall recover soon enough, and retain even more of Mr. McCall's attention in the meantime."

"You are cold and heartless!" Stiles exclaimed. "And I am sure that you have made plans to visit Netherfield in a fit of false anxiety over your daughter just to put on a show for them. But alas! You shall not prevail. I will render your speculative visit unnecessary. I shall walk to Netherfield myself today to see Kira's condition. You had best keep your distance."

"Walk?! All the way to Netherfield?" Mrs. Yukimura said in surprise. "But it has been raining all night! You shall get mud all over yourself and be hardly in a presentable state by the time you reach there!"

"I shall be presentable enough to see Kira, and that is all I am interested in doing," said Stiles, crossing his arms in stubbornness. "Besides, the walk will do me good. Letter my father and inform him that I will most likely be home in time for dinner."

Without another word, Stiles departed Yukimura mansion in the direction of Netherfield. Luckily, it was less than a mile away, but as Mrs. Yukimura had speculated, Stiles was quite muddy by the time he arrived, and it looked as if he had fought five thousand wars with no reprieve, something which Miss Bingley, still bitter towards him as a result of Mr. Hale's growing attraction, was quick to comment on.

"I do say, Mr. Stilinski," she said with a conceited air about her as she led him into the breakfast-room, where all residents of the house were assembled save Kira. "Your appearance leaves something to be desired. Why, one would think you to be nothing more than a gutter-rat at first glance! You are lucky I am familiar enough with your face to recognize you, no matter what state of disorder you are in!"

"And for that I am grateful," remarked Stiles, acknowledging Mr. Hale and Mrs. McCall's husband with a simple nod of his head, both of whom said nothing to Stiles, but for different reasons. Mr. Hale was caught between admiration over the healthy glow a great deal of exercise had given to Stiles' cheeks and confusion over what had prompted such an arduous undertaking. Mr. McCall, however, was only thinking of his breakfast, as he was due to think most of the time.

"Considering the gravity of this situation," said Stiles, completely unaware to the intent way that Mr. Hale was staring at him from across the room, "I shall skip pleasantries. Where is my Kira?"

"Upstairs," said Mrs. McCall, not unkindly, rising up from her seat and taking Stiles by the hand. "I shall take you to her, but I will warn you that her health has severely declined and she is in no condition for any type of movement."

"I understand," said Stiles as he was showed into the room where Kira was staying. Kira, upon seeing Stiles, became quite excited, but due to her sickness, was unable to carry on a conversation for too long before she began to cough heavily. Stiles, ever the faithful friend, only told her to rest and attended to her silently and without a word of complaint. Soon enough, Mrs. McCall and Miss Bingley came upstairs to attend to Kira as well, and it was upon seeing their kindness and compassion towards his friend that made Stiles begin to like them in a remote way.

Later that afternoon, the Dr. Deaton that Kira had mentioned in her letter paid the household a visit and tended to Kira, eventually delivering the good news that she was only suffering from a very bad cold, and would have to stay rested and unmoved for the upcoming week. He recommended constant attendance, something which Stiles readily agreed to and both Mrs. McCall and Miss Bingley promised to help with whenever their time would allow. The men of the house, being not adept at tenderness or care in general, went out to take care of business, seeing as there really was nothing else for them to do.

At long last, the clock struck five and Stiles regrettably informed Miss Bingley and Mrs. McCall that he would have to leave for his home, to return to Netherfield the next day to once again tend to Kira. Upon hearing his need to leave, Miss Bingley most joyously offered him the carriage to depart in, but Mrs. McCall, upon witnessing how much distress Kira was suffering at being abandoned by her best friend, insisted that Stiles stay at Netherfield until Kira was better. At first, Stiles declined, but upon threat from Mrs. McCall of offending her for all eternity, he quickly consented to her offer, and a servant was quickly dispatched to Stilinski manor to inform Stiles' father of the news of Stiles' stay and to retrieve a change of clothes for the boy.


	8. A Dinner Discussion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay, you guys. :'( It really sucks having to work for a living. Lol. Well, enjoy the latest installment!

Later that evening, Stiles was called down from his watchpost by Kira's bed to come to dine with the McCalls, Miss Bingley, and Mr. Hale. Upon arrival downstairs, the female members of the dinner party inquired as to Kira's health, to which Stiles regrettably informed them that there had been no change whatsoever. The women, upon hearing such bad news, repeatedly told Stiles how bad they felt about Kira's illness, how unfortunate it must be to have a bad cold, and how they detested being so ill themselves. Once this was done, they thought no more on the matter. Stiles, seeing how quickly they became indifferent to Kira's condition, was more than content to go back to his original dislike for them.

Scott, on the other hand, was the only member of the family whom Stiles could look upon favorably, for two reasons in particular. The first was that Scott was in a constant state of worry over Kira, never ceasing to ask about her condition whenever the chance presented itself. The second was his treatment of Stiles himself, always inviting the young man to engage in conversation and making him feel less like an intruder than he was actually being. As far as the whole family was concerned, Stiles might as well have been invisible, with the exception of Scott. Mr. Hale himself paid Stiles no never mind and neither did Miss Bingley or Mrs. McCall, both of whom were engrossed with every word that came out of Mr. Hale's mouth. Mr. McCall, living only to eat, drink, and play cards, distanced himself from the entire group, and when he found Stiles' taste in food to be different than his, had nothing to say to the young man.

Soon enough, dinner was over, and Stiles hurriedly retreated to the room where Kira was to look after her some more.

No sooner had he left the room did Miss Bingley eagerly begin to abuse Stiles' character.

"His manners are deplorable," she proclaimed with a small squeal of delight. "And he is most prideful and impertinent. Furthermore, he is a poor conversationalist, and he has no style or taste or beauty to speak of!"

"My dear, I couldn't agree with you more!" exclaimed Mrs. McCall with a heavy sigh. "He has nothing to represent himself other than that he is a fine walker. I shall never forget how he presented himself to us this morning. Such a wild-looking thing! I almost thought he was a savage!"

"As did I, Melissa," said Miss Bingley with a sniff. "I almost couldn't control my countenance for he looked so funny. And why should he have come at all is the question at hand. Whoever told him to go scampering about the countryside simply because his friend had a cold? Most nonsensical indeed, especially considering the state of his hair when he arrived!"

"And did you see his stockings?" asked Mrs. McCall, almost as if speaking of something quite dirty. "They were torn and muddy! And his pant legs were lifted up to show them! How incredibly gauche!"

"All these things you speak of are lost upon me indeed," piped up Scott, who had had enough of such speech. "I believe that Mr. Stilinski looked quite well when he fell into our laps this morning. His torn stockings escaped my notice."

Miss Bingley gave her cousin a withering glance before turning to face Mr. Hale."

"I'm sure you observed Mr. Stilinski's ragamuffin state," she began with a haughty air about her. "And I am inclined to believe that you would not allow your own sister to run around in such a manner."

"Of course I wouldn't," said Mr. Hale severely.

"To think that he would walk almost a mile in ankle-deep mud and all alone! Whatever could he mean by that other than some sort of conceited independent statement or an indifference to decorum?"

"To that I believe it to be a show of affection for his friend," Scott once again interjected, determined to defend Stiles to the last.

"Ha!" cried Miss Bingley harshly. "And what do you think of this little adventure, Mr. Hale? I would assume it would lessen his appeal in your eyes, eh?"

"No, not at all," said Mr. Hale, much to Miss Bingley's surprise. "As a matter of fact, it made his eyes sparkle all the more."

An uncomfortable pause followed hereafter and Mrs. McCall tentatively sought to break the silence.

"I do hold Miss Yukimura to be a very fine young lady," she said, casting wary eyes at both her son and his best friend, "but one cannot deny that her mother is a nuisance and she is not well-settled, as a young girl should be. With such low connections and an abominable mother, I fear there is no chance of her getting married."

"Add to this that they have two uncles who are attorney, one of whom lives in Cheapside, makes them even lesser than they already are," said Miss Bingley.

"Pish-posh!" cried Scott. "Even if they had a thousand uncles who were attorneys, it would not make them any less agreeable!"

"But no man of any consideration at all would want to marry such low-class people," said Mr Hale calmly from the corner. "Pray tell me, Scott, which fine high-society friend do you know who would wish to marry the relative of a lawyer?"

To this Scott made no answer, but the women applauded his statement, and continued to make ruthless jokes at the expense of their guests. However, within a short amount of time, they began to feel remorse over the horrible things they had said, and decided that the best way to atone for their sins was to retire to Kira's room and look after her as good hosts would do, or at least until it was time for coffee. Kira was still not feeling well, and Stiles showed no inclination to leave her bedside. However, once Kira had fallen into a peaceful sleep, Stiles saw no need to stay cooped up in the bedroom any longer, and took it upon himself to venture downstairs and into the drawing-room. The whole household was there, playing bridge, and they quickly invited Stiles to join. However, worrying that they were playing for money, Stiles politely declined (though to them he gave the excuse that he couldn't stay with them for long due to Kira possibly waking up at any moment) and instead plucked a book off of a shelf and contented himself to sit in a corner and read.

This did not escape the notice of Mr. McCall, who suddenly spoke for one of the first times that evening. "I do say, Mr. Stilinski," he said with awe in his voice. "What a shock it is to see that you prefer reading to card games. I must say that you are the only person I know who does."

"Mr. Stiles Stilinski," said Miss Bingley in a huff, eager to get back to the game at hand, "has no inclination towards card games. He enjoys reading and nothing more."

"As I am me, I shall speak on my own behalf, thank you," said Stiles with a small smile. "Miss Bingley is quite incorrect. Though I do enjoy reading immensely, it is not the only thing I find pleasure in. There are quite a few things which can drive me to distraction."

"I am sure you take great pleasure in nursing your friend back to health," remarked McCall. "And as she recovers, you shall enjoy it more, I dare say."

Stiles quickly thanked McCall for the compliment, and then, bored with the book he was clutching, approached a table where a few more lay. McCall offered to retrieve more for Stiles, but with the regrettable announcement that since he was an idle man, he possessed very few books, and even those he barely peered into. Stiles only laughed and assured McCall that he would find some book or other to occupy his time.

It was then that Miss Bingley decided to interject herself into the conversation. "I dare say, Scott," she said. "It is rather a shame that your father did not accrue a larger collection of books. But Mr. Hale," and she suddenly turned to the pensive man seated at the table, "do not you have a very fine library at Pemberley?"

"It should be very fine," he said, "for it has taken generations to fill it."

"And you continue to fill it to this day," said Miss Bingley in admiration. "I am always hearing of you buying new books and stuffing the shelves with them!"

"What use could there be for neglecting a family library?" queried Mr. Hale.

"Indeed," said Miss Bingley. "And you neglect nothing, Mr. Hale, for Pemberley is the most beautiful place I have ever seen. I do hope my cousin, when he builds his house, makes it half as enjoyable as your noble home!"

"I wish it as well," said Scott.

"As a matter of fact, you should think about buying property near Pemberley, Scott, and use it as a model!"

"If Mr. Hale would kindly sell it, I would most happily buy it from him," said Scott with a small twinkle of mirth in his eye.

"Don't joke, sir," Miss Bingley sniffed. "I am talking about possibilities."

"Though imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it would be easier to achieve Pemberley through purchase than through cheap imitation," retorted Scott, who dearly wished his cousin wasn't so air-headed.

While this conversation had stretched on, Stiles had found himself caught up in it, leaving him little time for his book. As a result, he decided to give up his pointless venture and draw a chair nearer to the table so he could interject where he felt it appropriate and watch the game with intent.

"Oh, Mr. Hale!" Miss Bingley suddenly cried, dropping the subject of Pemberley altogether. "I do say that it has been forever since I've seen your sister, Cora. Has she grown much since last spring? Surely she could not be as tall as I am yet!"

"Indeed, she can be, and is," said Mr. Hale drily, clearly not interested in the subject. "If I had to hazard a guess, I would say that she is probably around Mr. Stilinski's height, and still growing."

"Oh, how I long to see her again!" sighed Miss Bingley. "For I have never met anybody who is as well-mannered, accomplished, and exquisite as she is."

"Accomplished?" cried Scott. "All ladies are accomplished! In my mind, any girl who can paint a table, cover a screen, or net a purse is accomplished. And I do believe that I have never met a young lady thus far who has not been introduced as very accomplished."

"Your definition of accomplishment leaves something to be desired," said Mr. Hale with a sneer. "Just because a young lady, or young man for that matter, can do a handful of things masterfully does not make them accomplished. My own standard of accomplishment is very high, and I boast that I know of less than half a dozen young people who rightly deserve to be called accomplished."

"I wholeheartedly agree," said Miss Bingley, eager to appease Mr. Hale with her subservience.

"I see," suddenly said Stiles, causing everyone in the room to turn to him with wide eyes (for he had been silent all this time). "So, Mr. Hale, your idea of an accomplished young person must be very extensive indeed."

"Aye, that it is," said Mr. Hale.

"And why shouldn't it be?" cried his faithful lackey. "Is it not reasonable to expect a young person to do a great deal of things with the mastery of an expert? In my opinion, any person who wishes to be called accomplished must have an extensive knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and all the modern languages. Furthermore, he or she must walk with the air of someone very well bred and must express themselves in all situations with only the most proper manners and elegant poise and prestige. If any of these things are lacking, then they are only half deserving of the word."

"Hear, hear," said Mr. Hale, "and to this, he or she must add a great deal of reading, for their mind must be as sharp as a tack if they wish to get by."

"To this I can only say that I am no longer surprised that you know six people like this," said Stiles, "but I wonder now if you know any person who fits this ridiculous criteria!"

"Are you so severe upon humanity as to think this to be impossible?" asked Mr. Hale with an arched eyebrow.

"It is not my intention to be severe," said Stiles, standing up with a sigh, "but I have seen many a person in this world, and none has been able to do the things you hold to be standard for a person, at least not all in the same one."

To this, Mrs. McCall and Miss Bingley were quick to argue that they knew many women and men who were accomplished in such a way. So heated was their arguing that Mr. McCall was forced to restrain them with a bitter complaint that their conversation had taken all focus off of the game. Stiles, seeing that there was no reason to be had here, quietly left the room.

Once he was gone, Miss Bingley was quick to tear into his character again.

"Mr. Stilinski is one of those despicable individuals who seeks to represent himself by pointing out the flaws in others. And while it may work on some, I hold it to be a paltry and ridiculous device to be used against such people."

"But alas, Miss Bingley," said Mr. Hale, "do not all people everywhere use their own affinity to condescend to others for captivation? It would seem, from observation, that everyone is guilty of this fault, each to their own degree."

Quite confused and slightly disturbed by such a remark, Miss Bingley declined to comment.

Stiles did join the party once again that evening, but only to deliver the news that Kira had taken a turn for the worse, to which Scott recommended that Dr. Deaton come by to visit Kira once more. His cousin and mother both blanched at the idea, and offered to have Kira taken to the city to see a professional physician. However, Stiles assured them that such a drastic action was not necessary, and that the country physician would be fine. Therefore, it was arranged that Dr. Deaton would drop by in the morning if Kira had not begun to feel better. Scott was most miserable at this, and, in order so that they might continue their charade of charity, Mrs. McCall and Miss Bingley both declared themselves to be most miserable as well, a situation only to be fixed by duets after supper. However, Stiles was pleased to see that Scott was not so easily distracted and took every spare moment that he had to make sure that Kira was well taken care of.


	9. An Unpleasant House Guest

For the entire night and part of the next morning, Stiles stood vigilant at Kira's bedside, not bothering to catch a wink of sleep or give any thought to himself whatsoever. Needless to say, by the time morning came, Stiles was simply exhausted, but he was pleased to deliver tolerable tidings to Mr. McCall's inquiries about Kira recovering slightly over the course of the night. However, despite the good news, Stiles inquired for a letter to be dispatched to Yukimura mansion requesting the presence of Mrs. Yukimura so that she might judge Kira's condition herself, seeing as Stiles was not a licensed physician. Upon hearing Stile's request, Mr. McCall immediately complied and had the letter dispatched immediately. The response was equally as hasty, and came in the form of Mrs. Yukimura herself. However, everyone at the house was surprised to see that she had not brought just herself, but had brought Stiles' brother Liam and cousin Isaac with her.

No sooner had she crossed the threshold into Netherfield did Mrs. Yukimura begin to throw herself about in a theatrical fit of misery, demanding to be taken up to see her daughter at once. However, once she saw that Kira was in fact doing quite well and was nowhere near the doors of death, she lost her theatrical attitude immediately and her concern over bringing Kira home vanished as well. As a matter of fact, because she knew that bringing Kira back would pull her away from the young McCall, she actually pushed for Kira to stay longer, a suggestion which was quickly supported by Dr. Deaton, who still held that Kira was too sick to move, at least for the time being. Once this was decided, Mrs. Yukimura contented herself to settle in quite nicely at Netherfield, taking to admiring the luxurious furnishings and dropping countless hints of being invited to tea with the family. Obviously, this made Stiles cringe in embarrassment at the woman's abhorrent attitude, but he said nothing, and sure enough, Mrs. Yukimura was finally invited to tea with Mr. McCall, Miss Bingley, and Mrs. McCall. Stiles, Liam, and Isaac were invited as well, and they followed the domineering woman into the parlor.

Once they had taken their seats at table, Scott inquired after Kira's wellbeing, voicing his hope that Kira was not much worse off than she had been the day previous.

Mrs. Yukimura, not one to turn down an opportunity, quickly stated, "I have indeed, Mr. McCall, and from both my own judgment and the judgment of Dr. Deaton, she is far too ill to be moved. I am afraid that we will have to trespass upon your hospitality for a little while longer."

"Trespass?" Scott cried. "Nonsense! For I am glad to have you all here. And as far as having Kira moved, I would not think of it. And I can assure you that my cousin Braeden feels exactly the same as I do."

"I do, indeed," Braeden lied, unable to conceal the coldness in her voice. "And I can assure you that Kira will receive as much attention as she deserves while she is here with us."

"Oh, how wonderful you are as friends!" cried Mrs. Yukimura, a crocodile tear rolling down her cheek. "If you were not so kind, I would not know what would become of Kira, for she is indeed so ill. And what a shame it would be if she were to suffer any more than she already is, for she is the sweetest girl I have ever known and I often tell my friends that their own children cannot compete with her as far as behavior is concerned." Suddenly, she changed the subject. "And oh, by the way, Mr. McCall, I do say that you have a very charming place in Netherfield. I do hope that you will not quit it soon, seeing as you have been here less than a six-month."

"I must admit that I have a quick temperament," said Scott with a shrug. "And if I decided to leave this place, I should be gone in the blink of an eye. But do not fear, Mrs. Yukimura, for I find myself most attached to this place and do not plan on leaving it for quite some time."

"Your personality," interjected Stiles, "is what I would have guessed it to be."

"Then you have me figured out?" said Scott, turning to look at the charming boy.

"Oh yes, Mr. McCall. I understand you as clearly as if you were a pool of fresh spring water."

Scott shook his head. "Though I would like to take this as a compliment, I fear that it is more pitiable than admirable."

"Perhaps," mused Stiles. "But that is not to say that a more intricate personality would be more intriguing than yours. After all, there is something to say about simplicity."

"Stiles, mind your manners!" cried Mrs. Yukimura, quite shocked at Stiles' abrasive statements. "Though I am not your mother, I am sure she would agree with me that you should hold your tongue. Remember whose hospitality you are treating yourself to, and be mindful not to indulge in the wild habits that you often practice at home."

"I do say, Mr. Stilinski," said Scott, quite undisturbed by Stiles' statement, but rather intrigued by it. "I did not take you to be a studier of character. Tell me. Is it a very amusing study?"

"Only when in relation to intricate characters," said Stiles. "For though simple people are pleasant to observe, there is nothing more entertaining than delving into the psyche of a mysterious mind."

"Then you are luckless," suddenly said Mr. Hale from the doorway, who had snuck into the room without anyone taking notice. "For here in the country, there is not many mysterious and intricate people to be met. For as long as I have stayed here, I have only encountered a singular one-track mentality that never varies."

"Change does occur in even the dullest of individuals," retorted Stiles, not to be outdone by the prideful youth. "You can know a person forever and there will still be new things to know about that person every day."

"I agree!" cried Mrs. Yukimura, taking offense at Mr. Hale's statement. "I hold true that there is just as much mystery and intrigue in the countryside as there is in the city."

Everyone in the room, including Stiles, was generally shocked by Mrs. Yukimura's defiant statement, and Mr. Hale, more repulsed than shocked, turned away from her with a shake of his head. Thinking that she had won the battle, Mrs. Yukimura continued her rhetoric. "The city is not as great as people hold it to be. Other than the appearance of public places and shops, what does it have over the countryside? Wouldn't you agree that the country is far more stimulating, Mr. McCall?"

"No, not entirely," said Scott. "I find that both the country and the city have certain advantages that the other does not. It is very hard to choose between the two."

"A very good attitude to have," said Mrs. Yukimura cordially. "And you are indeed a wise young man. Unfortunately, some young men," and she flashed her eyes in the direction of Mr. Hale, "would think the country to nothing remarkable at all."

"Mrs. Yukimura," Stiles said, blushing for the first time in the presence of Mr. Hale. "I am sure that what Mr. Hale meant to say is that there is not so great a variety of people to be met in the country as there is in the city. Surely you can acknowledge that simple fact."

Mrs. Yukimura refused to acknowledge that Stiles had even spoken, let alone brought up a good point, resigning herself to focus solely on her tea and act as if there was nobody else in the room. What followed was an unpleasant silence during which Miss Braeden took the opportunity to bat her eyes at Mr. Hale, who was standing by the window. Finally, seeking to cleave the tension in the room in two, Stiles queried of Mrs. Yukimura if Lydia Martin had dropped by Stilinski manor to see him while he had been otherwise occupied at Netherfield.

"As a matter of fact, yes, she and her father dropped by the other day," said Mrs. Yukimura, setting her tea aside. "I saw it from the window of my house. I must say that the Martins are quite well bred people, wouldn't you agree, Mr. McCall? I must say that I have never met more agreeable people."

"Did Lydia dine with father?" asked Stiles, eager to get back to the subject at hand.

"No, she returned home, as a good girl should," said Mrs. Yukimura, annoyed that her attention was once again being diverted away from Mr. McCall. "I fancy that she was wanted back home for the weekly baking, seeing as they are not in the possession of very many servants. By the way, Mr. McCall, I should not want you to think that my family is very lacking in servants. We have a plentiful supply, and my daughter never has to lift a finger to help them, seeing as they do their jobs quite well. I have raised my daughter to be far more delicate and elegant than the Martins have raised their own daughter. Do not mistake me, for Lydia is a very kind and caring girl, but it is a pity that hard work has taken its toll on her looks. She is indeed not a very handsome girl, but rather plain as it were. But again, do not mistake me. I think of her to be like another daughter."

"I am sure you do," Stiles said sarcastically from the side, but no one heard him save Mr. Hale, who had to keep himself from snorting with laughter.

"I think her to be very pleasant myself," said Mr. McCall. "Perhaps I do not see the things that you do, Mrs. Yukimura."

"Alas!" cried Mrs. Yukimura as if he had not spoken. "If she were only more attractive, as Kira is! Her mother has often confided in me about her jealousy over Kira's good looks, but I shall not trust my own partiality. Kira has had many suitors over the course of the years. One in particular took a shining to her when she was only fifteen, though obviously he did nothing to sway her towards matrimony with him. At any rate, he was often found to be praising her great beauty, and if I am not mistaken, I believe he wrote several verses about her."

"Poetry or not!" Stiles cried, irritated at Mrs. Yukimura's pompous boasting. "His affection did not last, so what does it matter? Besides, his affection was summed up in the poems themselves, and then there was no more love to be had. I do believe that poetry drives away love rather than nourishes it."

"Really?" asked Mr. Hale, most out of character. "For I have been raised to think that poetry is the food of love!"

"And to a healthy, strong, and deep love, it may be," said Stiles, unswayed in his opinion. "But if the attraction is solely surface-deep, then you can rest assured that one good sonnet would drain the person of their affection immediately."

Mr. Hale said nothing, but only smiled in return, and for the first time, Stiles felt such a sense of embarrassment and something deeper and more mysterious that he began to tremble slightly. He dearly wanted to say something to defuse the situation, but found himself at a loss for words. As a result, he resorted to fanning himself by the window and making a concerted effort not to meet Mr. Hale's gaze.

Mrs. Yukimura, in the meantime, had already taken to thanking Mr. McCall profusely again for his hospitality, and his response to her was nothing if not amicable. She thanked Miss Bingley too, but her response to Mrs. Yukimura's advance was severely less kind than her cousin's. However, it satisfied Mrs. Yukimura enough and she called for her carriage without further delay before beckoning for Isaac to come to her. While the entire tea party had taken place, Liam and Isaac had been whispering to each other, and it had finally been decided (as per Mrs. Yukimura's plan) that one of them should remind Mr. McCall of his promise to throw another ball at Netherfield. Eventually, it had been decided that Isaac should be the one to remind Mr. McCall of his promise, seeing as he was the most innocent-looking of the two and the only one besides Liam present who had not attended the original ball.

As a result, he abruptly crossed the room and confronted Mr. McCall about it, to which Mr. McCall jovially said, much to Mrs. Yukimura's delight: "I can assure you that I have every intention of throwing a ball here as soon as Kira is well. Just name the date and it shall be done. But you would not want to dance while Kira is ill, would you?"

"Oh, of course not!" cried Isaac. "It would be much better for the ball to be held when Kira is better, for by then Captain Carter will once again be in Meryton, and he will most assuredly attend. Then once you have given your ball, Mr. McCall, I shall persuade him to throw one of his own, and to seal the matter, I shall pout for Colonel Forster and remind him that it would be a dimmed shame if he does not."

Such was the conversation ended, and Mrs. Yukimura, along with Liam and Isaac, departed in the carriage. Once they were gone, Stiles immediately went to Kira's room to tend to her again, leaving the entire McCall family and Mr. Hale to remark on the actions of his and Kira's family. However, as far as the latter was concerned, though he heartily enjoyed making fun of Mrs. Yukimura's audacity, he could not, even when provoked by Miss Braeden, bring himself to join in their attack upon Stiles.


	10. A Sound Argument

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, sorry for the delay, but Xmas and all. Lol. Enjoy the latest update!

The next day passed just as the day previous, with the exception that the only people to play cards in the afternoon were Mr. McCall and his father, Rafael. Meanwhile, Mr. Hale was busy at the writing desk composing a letter, but his attention was most unfortunately diverted by the ever-present company of Miss Braeden Bingley, who had taken to asking about his sister incessantly since the previous day. Stiles, on the other side of the room, sat sewing quietly, content to amuse himself with the absurd talk that passed between Mr. Hale and Miss Bingley. Mr. Hale's constant response of uncaringness to Miss Bingley's compliments made for a very amusing conversation.

"I do say, Mr. Hale, that your sister will be very glad to receive your letter!"

When Mr. Hale made no response, she continued on. "Look at how fast you write! If only I possessed such a talent!"

"On the contrary, I write rather slowly," Mr. Hale said dryly.

"I almost feel faint at the thought of the enormous amount of letters that you must compose daily, Mr. Hale!" she continued as if he had not spoken. "I would think it to be quite an odious and boring task to behold!"

"Then it is a good thing that they fall to my business and not to yours," Mr. Hale said, continuing to scribble on the paper.

"Oh!" Miss Bingley said as if she had just remembered. "Do tell your sister in your letter that I long to see her!"

"I have already done so per your request," said Mr. Hale in annoyance.

"Look at your pen!" said Miss Bingley, longing to impress Mr. Hale in any way shape or form. "It is almost broken. Pray let me mend it for you!"

"No, thank you," said Mr. Hale coldly, withholding his pen from Miss Bingley's grasp. "I always mend my own."

"If you will not allow me the pleasure, then how do you intend to keep writing so evenly?"

He made no answer.

Miss Bingley, leaving the subject alone, returned to the topic of his sister. "And do tell your sister that I am proud to hear of her improvement on the harp and am looking forward to an opportunity to hear her play sometime."

"Alas, it must wait until another time," said Mr. Hale, "for I have little more room left in this letter to do so."

"It is of no matter," said Miss Bingley with a wave of her hand. "For I shall see her after the first of the year. But do tell me, Mr. Hale, do your letters always run so long and charming?"

"Long? Yes. Charming? I cannot say."

"I generally assume that anyone who can write a long letter can most definitely write it with charm and ease."

"Charm and ease? Bah!" cried Mr. McCall from the card table suddenly. He looked at his cousin with amusement on his face. "I have never known Derek to write a letter with ease, for he is always looking to bamboozle and befuddle others with words of four syllables or more!"

"I cannot help if our writing styles are different, my dear friend," said Mr. Hale.

"Different indeed!" cried Miss Bingley in an outrage. "My cousin there has little regard for the fine art of letter writing. He leaves out half his words and blots out the rest! It is a wonder I can understand half of what he says when he writes me!"

"If my words are minced, it is because my imagination runs so wild that I have little time to write all of my thoughts down," said Mr. McCall in a quick defense of his character.

"Your humility is laughable, to say the least, Mr. McCall," said Stiles from where he was sitting.

"Humility is a most deceitful tool," said Mr. Hale in detest. When it appears, it is either carelessness of opinion or an indirect boast."

"And which was mine just now?" asked Mr. McCall, much intrigued by Mr. Hale's impending answer.

"The indirect boast," replied Mr. Hale coolly. "You are very proud in your poor manner of writing, and hold that it stems from a wealth of mental power. People are always holding the ability to complete tasks quickly over doing them accurately. I, on the other hand, am of the mind that if something is to be done, it must be done correctly and not quickly. Otherwise, you are only careless and lazy. You told Mrs. Yukimura just yesterday that if you resolved to quit Netherfield, you would be gone in five minutes. But what pride is there to be taken in such a flighty and senseless manner of decision making? I know you, my friend, and if someone were to ask you to stay here another two weeks, you would, and heaven forbid one should ask you to stay a month longer, and you would most certainly do it without complaint or question. You are not as unpredictable as you think yourself to be. Why I could predict your moves for the next twenty years and you would not be able to surprise me in the slightest."

"Through this, you have only proven Mr. McCall to be a dependable man, the sort of which should succeed greatly in the field of marriage," said Stiles wickedly.

"While I appreciate your turning my friend's insult into a compliment," said Mr. McCall, "alas, I must say that in his eyes, you have just made me seem as a lesser man. I daresay that if I were to up and leave this place with nary a word, he would be most proud of me and look upon it as a virtuous act."

"Then Mr. Hale puts himself at an impasse," said Stiles. "For he cannot possibly hold your original intention to be rash and then say that he would proud if you stuck to it. If he did do such a thing, he would be a hypocrite, and there is no worse thing."

"Alas, I cannot say," said Mr. McCall with a shrug. "Only Derek can answer that question."

"You desire to hold me accountable for opinions which you have called my own, but ones which I have yet to confirm as having adopted as such," said Mr. Hale scathingly towards Stiles. "But to humor you, let us say for the sake of argument that I do hold the opinion which you have accused me of. In that case, you must remember, my dear Mr. Stilinski, that the person who has desired McCall to delay his departure from Netherfield is simply that: a desire, and he or she has offered no argument in favor of him staying."

"That is all very well and good," said Stiles just as heatedly. "But we do not all view the opinions of friends as inconsequential as you, Mr. Hale. Though you would demand a good sound argument in favor of an idea, most likely followed by a court case, most people are content to listen to their friends' advice without question."

"And idiots they must all be," countered Hale. "What does it say for a person's character to take advice without question? I'll tell you what it says about them: that they are mindless sheep soon to be led off a cliff!"

"Mr. Hale!" cried Stiles in shock. "You act as if everything a person says would lead to utter destruction!"

"Wouldn't it, though?" queried Hale coyly.

"Give up, my dear Stiles," interjected Scott, quite fatigued from this witty back-and-forth banter. "For Mr. Hale is the king of arguments. I do declare that if he and I had not been brought up to think fondly of another, we would be mortal enemies. I do say that I have never met a more tiresome and awful person as Derek as far as arguments are concerned. And God forbid that you start one at his own house or on a leisurely Sunday night."

Mr. Hale, in response to Scott, smiled serenely, but Stiles, not being a fool, could easily see that it was simply a façade and that Mr. Hale had been greatly offended and upset by Scott's statement. As a result, the laugh that had welled up in his throat upon hearing Scott's joke died quickly upon seeing the light of pain in Mr. Hale's eyes. Though it was only momentary, it was enough to keep Stiles from laughing, and he was further sobered to realize that he actually cared enough to spare Mr. Hale's feelings.

However, those thoughts were quickly dashed when Mr. Hale came back with a vengeance.

"Joke as you wish, dear friend," he said to Scott, not bothering to conceal the venom in his voice, "for since you do dislike any form of argument, that is all you are good for."

If Scott was offended, he didn't show it. "Perhaps," he said, "but only because arguing is too much like fighting in my opinion and I desire a well-ordered and peaceful household above all things. So if you and Mr. Stilinski would defer your argument until I have indeed left the room, I would be much obliged. Once I am gone, you may feel free to say or do whatever you wish to each other, just so long as it doesn't damage the furniture."

"Not an unreasonable request," said Stiles kindly. "I will respect your wishes, Mr. McCall, with much fondness, for I too detest arguing, even over the most interesting of subjects. And I am sure that Mr. Hale here, while he may not be as inclined as I am to ending this argument here and now, will at least acknowledge that he has a letter to finish."

Mr. Hale declined to answer, but did indeed turn back to his letter and quickly finish it with a flourish. Once that business was over with, he politely inquired as to whether Miss Braeden and Stiles would deign to bestow music upon the party. Miss Bingley went to the piano with much pleasure, but Stiles politely but earnestly refused. As a result, it was Mrs. McCall who sang while Miss Braeden played while Stiles busied himself looking at the various music books that lined one of the bookshelves. It was during this activity that he couldn't help but notice the frequent glances that Mr. Hale sent his way. He could not imagine that he had attracted the attention of such a well-to-do man, but by the same token, he could not imagine why Mr. Hale would be looking at him if he disliked him. The only thing that made sense was that he had detected something even more wrong with Stiles' appearance and could not bring himself to look away from it, to which Stiles was able to easily ignore him, for he cared very little for Mr. Hale's opinion.

Which is why it came as such a surprise when Mr. Hale suddenly crossed the room and came to stand next to Stiles before turning to address him.

"I must ask, Mr. Stilinski, do you not feel the strongest inclination to dance?" When Stiles only smiled but did not answer, he repeated the question, somewhat ruffled as his pride was wounded.

"Oh, Mr. Hale, do not pester me a third time," said Stiles. "My hearing is fine, and I heard your request both times, but I have not decided as of yet what to reply. I know that you desire me to say yes so that you could eviscerate my taste in the music for which I enjoy dancing, but alas! I do thoroughly enjoy undermining such plots, especially when they are layered with contempt as yours is. So to you, I must decline, and now you may despise me as you wish."

"But Mr. Stilinski, I do not despise you nor could I under such circumstances," said Mr. Hale.

Stiles had thought that his statement would have wounded Mr. Hale deeply and would have succeeded in bringing out a bitter side of him. Imagine his surprise at Mr. Hale's gallantry! Still, Stiles was unaware of the sweet disposition that he was inclined to show to everyone and he was even more unaware that his refusal to dance had done nothing more than just increase Mr. Hale's respect for him. As a matter of fact, Mr. Hale had become so bewitched with the youth that if he had not known Mr. Stilinski's connections to be inferior, he would have worried about his title of bachelor being soon revoked.

Miss Braeden Bingley, unfortunately, was not one to miss where Mr. Hale was placing his affection, and she grew insanely jealous because of it. As such, her desire for Kira to return to wellness was fueled by her desire to get Stiles out of the house and out of Mr. Hale's sights. So bitter was she at the prospect of Stiles stealing Hale away from her that she designed at every opportunity to try and brew bitterness against Stiles from Mr. Hale. She did this by speculating about his and Stiles' supposed marriage and planning Hale's happiness accordingly. It culminated the very next day as she and Hale took a leisurely stroll through the garden.

"I do hope, Mr. Hale," she said, "that when you and Stiles marry (and you know that Mrs. Yukimura will be close at hand when that happens) that you will remind her about the advantages of holding her tongue in certain situations. And furthermore, you must instruct both Stiles' cousin Isaac and his brother Liam not to go chasing after soldiers as they are allowed to do at home. Such behavior should not be tolerated! And speaking of intolerable behavior, you will sooner or later have to talk to Stiles about his bad habit of being impertinent and rude to his betters."

"Have you any other ideas that would contribute to my marital happiness?" he asked with a sigh, quite tired by Miss Bingley's constant interfering.

"Yes, as a matter of fact," said Miss Bingley nastily. "You should not dare to have Mr. Stilinski's portrait taken, for surely no artist could capture such wonderful eyes. It would be far better for you to see him in your memory than in some silly painting on the wall."

"While I agree with you that it would not be easy for an artist to capture them," said Mr. Hale with a smirk, very much looking forward to seeing Miss Bingley's reaction to his next statement, "I am sure that with enough time and perseverance, they would be able to make them in such a way that would last the ages, and then all future generations would know how beautiful their great-grandfather had been."

Miss Bingley did indeed sputter and start at Mr. Hale's brazen statement, but she was unable to reply upon seeing both Mrs. McCall and Stiles himself walking up to them, for they two had decided to take a stroll around the gardens that morning.

"I did not know that you would be walking this morning," said Miss Bingley, only a little hostile that her one-on-one with Hale had been interrupted.

"A curse on you and your future children for not telling us the same," cried Mrs. McCall. "If only I had known, I would have desired to accompany you." Abruptly forgetting Stiles, she took Mr. Hale's free arm to walk with him, leaving Stiles quite alone for the path was only wide enough to accommodate three people and no more.

Mr. Hale, looking at Stiles, felt the rudeness of both Mrs. McCall and Miss Bingley and quickly said, "This path is too small for all of us. Let us take the avenue instead so that Stiles may walk with us."

However, Stiles, not hurt in the slightest that he had been abandoned, only chuckled and laughed. "Don't you dare disappoint these lovely ladies," he said, trying hard to conceal the ridicule in his voice. "Go ahead and walk and don't worry about me. I wouldn't dream of breaking up such a splendid and picturesque party. I shall see you all back at the house. Goodbye!" And quickly turning on his heel, he marched gaily back in the direction of the manor, already gleeful at the prospect of returning home in only a few days. After all, Kira had recovered enough last night to admit a few hours outside of her room for fresh air. Within a few days, both Kira and Stiles would be home again.


	11. After-Dinner Tea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, it's been forever since I've last updated, so I'm giving you guys two new chapters. Sorry for the delay. Enjoy!

After the entire Netherfield party engaged in dinner, Stiles ran up to Kira, and upon seeing her doing much better than she had been that morning, brought her slowly down to the drawing-room, where she was greeted most cordially by Mrs. McCall and Miss Bingley. In the next passing hour, Stiles never saw a more agreeable bunch of women. Their power of conversation was considerable, and they carried on in such a powerful manner that Stiles found himself inadvertently drawn into it.

However, all of this changed once the gentlemen entered the room, upon which Kira was no longer the center of attention. Immediately, Miss Bingley made for Hale, having more than two things to say to him before he had taken a few steps into the room. However, Stiles was pleased to see that Hale did make an effort to address Miss Yukimura directly and wish her further health while the young McCall's father made a short bow to her and said he was "very glad" that she had recovered so. But as far as warmth and friendliness were concerned, it was reserved for Scott McCall alone. As soon as he saw that Kira was up and about, he immediately took to her side and engaged her in the most intimate and quiet of conversations, and Stiles was very pleased to see that Kira would blush every now and then at something hushed that Mr. McCall had said to her. He even went so far as to pile up the fire, working up quite a sweat in the process, so that Kira would not catch another cold in her vulnerable state. After that, he and Kira retired to a corner of the room and he scarcely talked to anyone else, giving Stiles even more delight from his vantage point across the room.

As far as everyone else in the room was concerned, boredom soon set in. McCall's father appealed for cards, but since no one was in the mood, he took to falling asleep on the couch, a most agreeable task to undertake in his opinion. His wife, in the meantime, just puttered about the room and every now and then engaged her son and Miss Yukimura in conversation when she felt like it. On the other side of the room, Hale began to read a book and Miss Bingley, in an effort to better herself in his eyes, also took to reading, though she indeed looked quite ridiculous holding the book upside down. However, when Stiles brought this to her attention, she quickly gave up her futile effort of looking studious and took to asking Hale about his book and pestering him with annoying questions. Hale, though slightly peeved at the interruptions, was nothing if not polite to Miss Bingley, and he answered her questions shortly before turning back to his book, something which Miss Bingley did not appreciate in the slightest.

Finally fed up with the bored state that she had found herself in, Miss Bingley gave a great yawn for everyone to hear before saying, "I do declare that there is no better way to spend the evening than deep in a book. Wouldn't you say?"

No one replied, though Stiles was quietly observing Miss Bingley with amusement.

Giving another giant yawn, Miss Bingley was about to try and engage Mr. Hale in conversation again when she suddenly overheard a piece of conversation between her cousin and Miss Yukimura on the subject of another ball being held soon.

"Scott," she began in a huff. "Before you make any such plans to hold a ball here, I would advise you to take it up with other members of this party who would view it as more of a punishment than a pleasure."

"If you mean Mr. Hale," Scott said with a harsh laugh, "then he may take himself to bed early that night, for nothing will change my mind. The ball has already been arranged for, and once the kitchen staff have collected enough food to feed the entire party, I shall be sure to send my cards round to the houses."

"Balls are so tedious," said Miss Bingley, throwing herself melodramatically into a nearby armchair. "Wouldn't they be much better if it was conversation that took the order of the day instead of dancing?"

"Oh yes, it would be much better," said the young McCall sarcastically. "But then I'm afraid it wouldn't be much of a ball, now would it?"

Making a face at her cousin, Miss Bingley then took to wandering about the room, doing her best to tempt Mr. Hale's eyes with her elegant figure, but to no avail. He still remained as studious as ever. Finally getting fed up with him, she turned to face Mr. Stilinski.

"Oh do come turn about the room with me, my dear Stiles," she said in a falsely sweet tone. "It is a most refreshing attitude, especially after sitting for so long."

Stiles, though surprised at Miss Bingley's request, agreed to it at once, and just as Miss Bingley predicted, it caused Mr. Hale to look up from the book that had absorbed his attention for the majority of the night. He was apparently as shocked as Stiles had been at Miss Bingley's cordiality, but when appealed by the two to join them in their walk about the room, declined. This puzzled Miss Bingley no end, and she did ask Stiles if he could make heads or tails of Mr. Hale's peculiar attitude.

"I must say that I do not," said Stiles regretfully. "But if I had to hazard a guess, I would say that he wishes to be severe upon us, in which case our best bet in disappointing him would be to pay him no never mind."

Miss Bingley, however, in no mood to disappoint Mr. Hale in any way shape or form, soon embarrassed Stiles greatly by appealing to Mr. Hale for his two motivations behind both watching them and then declining their invitation to join them.

"I would be glad to explain both," said Mr. Hale with a small twinkle in his eye that made Stiles blush slightly. "There could only be one of two reasons why you two would wish to walk about the room in the manner which you have taken to doing. Either you are in each other's confidence and have secret business to discuss, in which case I would most certainly be in your way, or you have figured out that your figures are most attractive when walking, in which case it would be much easier for me to admire them from here than if I was walking with you."

"Well, I never!" said Miss Bingley, pretending to be offended by Mr. Hale's blatant statement. "What an abominable thing to say! Stiles, how should we punish him for his vulgar speech?"

"Of this I must admit that I would be less than useful in," admitted Stiles. "Surely you, who know Mr. Hale better, would know of a way to repay him for his comment."

"Alas, I do not," said Miss Bingley. "My knowledge of Mr. Hale ends there, I am afraid, and for all the years that I have known him, I have yet to find the strategy that would allow us to do so. Teasing and laughing at him would do no good, for Mr. Hale is not to be laughed at. We would like as fools trying to laugh at something that possesses nothing to be laughed at for."

"Mr. Hale is not to be laughed at?" Stiles mocked. "What a pity! Then I see he has indeed an unfair advantage over all other men. Unfortunately, that makes him rather a dull man, wouldn't you agree? For I would rather have ten thousand friends with faults than one that is as close to perfection as humanity can get! I myself enjoy a good laugh at my own expense every now and again."

"What Mr. Stilinski has failed to say," said Mr. Hale, his pride much wounded by the young Stilinski's abrasive statement, "is that it is very easy to undo the wisest and most powerful of men when one sets out to make life nothing more than a joke."

"Make no mistake, Mr. Hale," said Stiles, immediately sobering up. "Certainly I agree that there are parts in life that must be taken seriously, and I would certainly hope not to be one of those abhorred people who treat life as nothing more than a form of entertainment. However, you cannot deny that every human being has follies, and follies were designed to be laughed at. I find no shame in admitting that I take pleasure in making fun of other people's faults, wherever they may be. But clearly, from both your account and Miss Bingley's, faults are what you are without."

"I do not claim to be perfect, Mr. Stilinski," said Mr. Hale. "On the contrary, I know that I have faults in my character that I wish I could change. But for the most part, I strive to stay away from things that would lead me astray and into the path of ridicule."

"Attributes such as pride and vanity, I assume?" asked Stiles, crossing his arms.

"Vanity is a weakness, in all shapes and sizes, but pride is a good virtue to have when one is truly superior to his companions," said Mr. Hale smugly.

Stiles was so overcome that he had to turn away lest he laugh in Mr. Hale's face.

"Is your analysis of Mr. Hale over?" Miss Bingley asked impatiently, quite tired of this line of conversation. "For if it is, please tell us the results."

Stiles turned back to look at the two. "From what I can gather, Mr. Hale is either without defect, or certainly very good at hiding it."

"I have never said that I was without fault," pursued Mr. Hale. "I simply stated that I control myself better than others. If people have umbrage with me, it is of their own accord and not mine. You once inquired if I was agreeable with anyone in general. But let me clarify this statement. I am a person who does not easily forget the follies and wrongdoings of others. If someone loses my good will, it stays gone forever."

"A failing, that is, indeed!" cried Stiles triumphantly. "For it is a fault to be resentful towards people indefinitely with no thought as to forgiving them. But you have chosen your fault well, Mr. Darcy, and for that, I cannot laugh at you."

"Everyone contains a natural defect in their character which inclines them towards evil, and not even the best education can overcome it."

"Then your defect is a willingness to hate everyone who does you the slightest amount of wrong."

"And yours," said Hale with a small smile, "is to willfully misinterpret the things that people say."

"Music would be nice!" suddenly exclaimed Miss Bingley, quite perturbed that she was not part of the conversation. "Mrs. McCall, you wouldn't mind me waking up your husband with the piano?" Receiving permission to do so, Miss Bingley raced to the piano, opened it, and began to play merrily along, leaving the room to dance as they would. As it turns out, this was a good thing as far as Hale was concerned, for he began to grow worried over paying too much attention to Mr. Stilinski.


	12. Returning Home

Kira and Stiles soon came to the agreement that Kira was almost ready to be sent home, and so Stiles set about writing a letter to Mrs. Yukimura, inquiring of her whether she would dispatch a carriage to receive them so they could return to their respective homes. Mrs. Yukimura, however, had not calculated them leaving so soon, having planned for Kira to stay a whole week at Netherfield, not simply a matter of days. As a result, her response to Stiles' letter was not hasty in the slightest, the letter itself arriving the next morning when it could have come that very evening. By the time the letter came, it said, much to Stiles and Kira's disappointment, that Mrs. Yukimura could not possibly spare them the carriage until Tuesday (Kira's week-long date at Netherfield) and that if Mr. McCall and his family would be so kind as to keep them a little while longer, she would be much obliged.

Unfortunately for Mrs. Yukimura, Stiles was deadset against staying any longer than was absolutely necessary. He was not only weary of spending time with the frivolous McCalls, the snobbish Bingley, and the prideful Hale, but he was fearful that if asked if they could intrude upon their hospitality any longer, it would breed ill feelings towards both the Yukimuras and the Stilinskis, and if Mrs. Yukimura wanted any chance of her daughter taking the young McCall to the altar, then Stiles would have to interfere for everyone's own good. As a result, he immediately brought up the idea that Kira had suggested the night previously of them taking Mr. McCall's carriage and leaving that very day.

This request of theirs was received with such negative response that Stiles and Kira both begrudgingly agreed to stay one more day, but only one day longer and no more after that, much to Miss Bingley's chagrin. Though she cared deeply for Kira's well-being and was quite fond of engaging the Asian girl in conversation, her jealousy and dislike for Stiles far outweighed her friendship with Kira. Mr. McCall, on the other hand, was quite sorrowful upon hearing of both Stiles and Kira's impending departure, and he did his best to try and convince Kira to stay, but Kira was a smart girl, and not at all silly in any manner, and she knew that if she agreed then Mr. McCall's affection would lose its novelty and she would be nothing more than a rag doll to him in due time. As a result, she remained firm in her resolve, but comforted him and told him that they would see each other again very soon.

Mr. Hale, however, was probably the most pleased to hear the news, for he had had enough of temptation as far as Stiles was concerned and wished to retrain himself to ignore such diversions. But if he was to be truthfully honest with himself, his desire to see Stiles gone was more out of concern over him getting his feelings hurt by Miss Bingley's constant ridicule. But considering Mr. Hale's pride, even he could not admit that he had grown quite fond of the young, bright-eyed boy. So convinced was he that he should not show any sign of affection towards Stiles in the remainder of his time at Netherfield that he resolved not to pay any attention to him from then on until he left the mansion. And indeed, for that entire Saturday, he ignored Stiles completely and despite the fact that they were left alone for a half an hour in the parlor, he paid Stiles no never mind, instead choosing to stare intently upon his novel and not look up at the boy once.

When Sunday morning finally came, Stiles could not have gotten out of bed any quicker than he did, and Kira was also excited at the prospect of leaving Netherfield after staying there for so long. Once again, Mr. McCall expressed his regret at their leaving, but he agreeably pulled the horses together and hitched them to the carriage in preparation for the duo's departure. Ironically, Miss Bingley's civility towards Stiles grew immensely as they were getting into the carriage, and before they began to travel off, she expressed pleasure at having gotten to know him and offered her hand in friendship. Of course Stiles knew that she was lying, but he took it in fair stride and both he and Kira left the manor in good spirits.

Kira's mother was not so civil to them at their return, however, for she had thought that they would be staying there until Tuesday. But Mr. Stilinski, though quiet about it, was happy to see the two and told them privately later that he had sorely missed them and that conversation in both households had been horribly dull since their departure for Netherfield.

Upon settling in back at home, Stiles saw that nothing much had changed. His father was as quiet as ever, Liam was as tiresome as ever, and Isaac, who had come to stay with the Stilinskis during Stiles' stay at Netherfield, was as chatty as Stiles remembered him to be. For the rest of the evening, the only conversation that Stiles could remember revolved around a dinner with the military regiment at Meryton, the flogging of a private who had abandoned his post, and the news that Colonel Forster might be marrying.


	13. A Letter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So again sorry for the delay. I've been really sick, but hopefully I'm better now where I can update more readily. Here's the next chapter.

One morning, Mrs. Yukimura came to have breakfast with the Stilinskis, and she brought Kira with her. It was while she was at breakfast with the family that Mr. Stilinski chose to address the Yukimura matriarch.

"I do hope, Mrs. Yukimura," he began, "that you would lend your servants to me today, for I am expecting another family visitor, and I'm afraid my own simply cannot handle the extra tasks at hand."

"Why of course, my dear Mr. Stilinski," said Mrs. Yukimura congenially. "But pray tell me, who are you expecting? I know not of any family members of yours that would be coming, lest you mean Lydia Martin, and she is not a very picky or high-bred girl by nature. Surely she would not demand any special treatment."

"The person to whom I am referring to is NOT Lydia Martin," said Mr. Stilinski, "but rather a gentleman and a stranger."

"A gentleman and a stranger?" cried Mrs. Yukimura. "Why, Kira, you sly thing, surely that must be Mr. McCall! And you knew all along and wished to surprise me! Well, then of course I shall lend my servants to you, Mr. Stilinski, and you may have Kira for the evening as well, for she must take advantage of such a good opportunity."

"It is NOT Mr. McCall, either," said Mr. Stilinski, beginning to grow exasperated. "On the contrary, it is a gentleman whom I have never had the pleasure of meeting in my entire life!"

This caused quite a stir around the breakfast-table, and Mr. Stilinski was soon set upon by all of the members of the household, save Stiles, to confess the identity of his forthcoming guest. When he had amused himself with their constant questions, he finally held up his hands and interrupted them.

"Roughly a month ago, I received a letter from him, and I answered it barely two weeks ago. And if you must insist upon knowing who it is from, then I shall tell you that it is from my cousin, Mr. Parrish, whom when I am dead, shall receive half of this estate (seeing as half of it was his father's quite a long time ago) and then shall be at will to turn the lot of you except Stiles out of it as he sees fit."

"Oh father!" cried Liam, beginning to cry. "Pray do not mention that odious man! I find it unbearable to think about the prospect of being homeless! If I had been you, I would have done something about him a long time ago so that you would have been the sole owner of this house!" And with that, he threw himself melodramatically into the corner and began to bawl like a small child.

"Now, quiet, young man, or I shall whip you soundly," said Mr. Stilinski firmly. "You shall not be homeless, Liam, for Stiles will take care of you when I am long-gone. Now I do agree that it is an iniquitous affair, but if you would please listen to the letter that he sent me, perhaps it might change your negative opinion of him."

Pulling the letter from a writing-desk, he brought it to table and began to read it aloud to the listening group.

'Dear Mr. Stilinski,

I am writing this letter to tell you that my father (whom you have had a quarrel with for nigh upon twenty years) has regretfully passed away, and seeing as I always found your feud with each other to be silly and unnecessary, I see no reason why this letter should not serve as the proverbial olive branch between our families, seeing as I have now found myself in possession of half of your Stilinski estate (which as you well know my father still retained half ownership of even after he moved away from it). To be perfectly honest, it was with unease that I made this decision, but I will also admit that it was my ordinance into the parsonage (thereupon finding myself in the service of the indomitable Lord Peter Hale whom you are very well acquainted with if I am not mistaken) that sealed my resolve, and I am determined to make peace with our families. So, if it would not be objectionable to you, I would very much like to call on you and your family next month for a week or so. Please do not worry about pulling me away from my duties, for Lord Hale is quite amicable about letting me take absence when I feel like it so long as there is someone to take my place temporarily whilst I am away. I will be eagerly awaiting your response, and I remain your servant and friend,

Parson Jordan Parrish'

"After receiving this letter, I wrote Mr. Parrish back and appealed him to come to us in a couple of weeks, and today should be the day that this peace-making man should arrive. And he might prove to be a valuable acquaintance, considering his service to Lord Hale."

"Well, he does SEEM to be agreeable, considering his desire to make amends for his father's wrongdoing," remarked Mrs. Yukimura.

"Yes, but I do wonder upon HOW he wishes to make such amends," piped up Kira.

"Well, he seems very odd to me," said Stiles. "There is something pompous about his air in telling you about Lord Hale, almost like boasting. Perhaps I may be wrong, but I must ask, father, could he be very sensible?"

"I doubt so, Stiles," replied his father. "I assume that we will find quite the reverse, but no matter. I am anxious to meet him."

Mr. Stilinski must have been the only one, for neither Mrs. Yukimura nor Kira and Stiles or the rest of the Stilinski household were very interested in beholding Mr. Parrish. Still, however, they were civil to him when he arrived and kept him in conversation when Mr. Stilinski felt like talking no more.

Mr. Parrish was a tall, thin man of what looked to be twenty-and-five. He had brown hair and sparkling green eyes which were dulled over by the simpleness of his personality. He was a very grave and serious man whose manners were very polite, though Stiles suspected them to be falsely so.

To Mrs. Yukimura, Mr. Parrish was quite the fine young man, never ceasing to take a hold of a moment and give compliment to Kira, whom he remarked with wonder at her not being married considering her great beauty. This pleased Mrs. Yukimura no end.

"Thank you kindly, young sir," she said, fanning herself airily and haughtily. "Hopefully it shall not stay that way much longer."

"You refer to the courtship between young Kira and the McCall boy, I assume?"

"I do, indeed!" cried Mrs. Yukimura. "It is a most grievous affair, for I know not where it shall go. It is not unlike the entailing of this estate once dear Mr. Stilinski has left this world. Stiles of course will be well taken care of and Isaac shall go back home, but what will become of young Liam? It does so trouble my mind."

"I assure you, Mrs. Yukimura, that no harm shall come to your friends," said Mr. Parrish most congenially. "As a matter of fact, I have come here for no less purpose than complimenting them. I do not wish to say the wrong thing, but perhaps when we know each other better..." he trailed off, and it was a good thing he did, for any suggestion from his lips would have been struck down immediately by a quickly listening Stiles, who had decided that he found Mr. Parrish to be a most dull man, not at all worth spending time with.

Soon enough, dinner was called, and Mr. Parrish continued his compliments into the night, tiring Stiles even more and making him long for the late-night tete-a-tete's that he had engaged in at Netherfield with Mr. Hale.


	14. The Parson Speaks

It was well after dinner that Mr. Stilinski finally decided that it was about time to open a dialogue with Mr. Parrish about his luck in having a patron such as Lord Hale, to which Mr. Parrish returned with many statements of gratitude and praise for his benefactor. He extolled Lord Hale's virtues, detailing how he composed himself much more politely and kindly than normal ranked officials do, before going on to brag that he had had the privilege of preaching to Lord Hale on many occasion, which had naturally led to him being invited to dine with Lord Hale twice now.

Of course, the subject of Lord Hale's notorious prideful nature was brought up, but Mr. Parrish was quick to put any and all rumors to rest by stating that he had never seen Lord Hale act in any type of manner that spoke of pride, and that he continued to be a very kind, humble, and even-tempered man.

Naturally, during this entire conversation, Mrs. Yukimura had made herself present, and she was quick to jump into the conversation before too long.

"So wonderful to hear that Lord Hale is so civilized and proper," she said with a sniff. "I daresay one doesn't find such good manners as much in present society. But tell me, Mr. Parrish, does Lord Hale live very near to you?"

"As a matter of fact, yes," said Mr. Parrish proudly. "The parsonage is separated from Rosings only by a simple lane. One needs only cross the lane to find themselves at Lord Hale's residence."

"Excellent," said Mrs. Yukimura. "Now if I remember correctly, you mentioned that Lord Hale was a widower? Has he any other family?"

"Yes," said Mr. Parrish, "a daughter. Her name is Malia. She is his heiress, and will inherit everything that he possesses upon his death."

"Then she is better off than most young women nowadays," remarked Mrs. Yukimura. "And tell me, Mr Parrish, is Malia a very handsome girl?"

"She is by far one of the handsomest girls I have ever beheld," said Mr. Parrish. "She is very charming, and even Lord Hale has confessed to me that he pities the other girls for they must compete with his astoundingly beautiful daughter. Unfortunately, Malia does suffer from a sickly constitution, which inhibits her abilities to be as accomplished as other young ladies her age, but I assure you that she is very amiable and often condescends to come visit me at the parsonage when she is up to it."

"Hmm," said Mrs. Yukimura, placing a hand on her chin in confusion. "Has she been presented to society yet? I do not remember hearing her name among the ladies of the court."

"Unfortunately," said Mr. Parrish, and it was clear that he was becoming quite uncomfortable, "Malia's state of health prevents her from being away from home for very long, which I can tell you deprives the royal court of its brightest ornament. Alas, if circumstances were different, Malia would be a towering duchess, inciting jealousy in all of the women and want in all the men. But alas, life does take its toll, and therefore I believe it be my duty to extol the virtues of the Hale family a thousand fold while traveling, considering what they've done for me. Additionally, if people were to only come see Lord Hale and his daughter at their humble residence, they would see how wonderful a family they really are and they would be the most beloved of all families here in England."

"You do wonders in painting the Hale family in a positive light," remarked Mr. Stilinski, who was still seated quite comfortably in his armchair. "And it is truly a gift you have to possess the ability to flatter people with delicacy and tact. But might I ask whether these observations are made from impulse or observation?"

"Dear sir!" cried Mr. Parrish, sounding quite offended. "Do you think me to be sycophant? I can assure you that I do not scrutinize the Hale family, and my observations are those made solely from emotion rather than cold-hard fact. I wouldn't dream of being so rude as to investigate every aspect of their lives to deliver a report to my peers."

"Ah, I see," said Mr. Stilinski with a chuckle. It was as he had feared. Mr. Parrish was a blithering idiot who would try and sell snow to an Eskimo if it would benefit himself. Of course, this didn't affect Mr. Stilinski in the slightest, and he took great pleasure in listening to Mr. Parrish ramble further onward about the Hale family, occasionally exchanging a glance with Stiles, who was seated in the opposite corner and taking just as much pleasure in listening to Mr. Parrish make a complete and utter fool of himself.

By tea-time, however, Mr. Stilinski had had quite enough of Mr. Parrish's dissertation, and was quick to invite him into the drawing-room for a game of bridge, during which Mr. Parrish was completely silent seeing as he had little experience with playing cards. After this, Mr. Stilinski didn't give Mr. Parrish a chance to open a dialogue about the Hale family again by inviting him to read to Stiles, Kira, Liam, Isaac and Mrs. Yukimura. Mr. Parrish readily assented, and a book was presented him to read passages from until it was time to retire to bed. However, upon seeing the book that had been selected for him to read from, Mr. Parrish blanched and requested to search the library for an appropriate book with the claim that he never ever read novels. This revelation caused much stir among Isaac and Liam, who protested that they spent many an evening curled up with a good novel. However, their constant protests were not enough to sway Mr. Parrish from his determination to read something else, and he eventually returned to the lounge with Fordyce's Sermons, to which Isaac and Liam cried out so much that one might have thought they were being murdered. However, when Mr. Stilinski threatened them both with harsh punishment should they persist, they acquiesced to sit quietly while Mr. Parrish read from the book.

However, Mr. Parrish had only read three pages when Lydia decided it was time to interrupt him.

"Uncle," he began in the rudest manner possible, "had you heard that my father is talking of turning away his foreman, Richard? Well, Col. Forster heard all about it, and he is seeking to hire Richard as soon as father lets him go! I am going to walk down to Meryton tomorrow and see if it's all true. Maybe I might even inquire as to when Mr. Denny is coming back to town."

As soon as Isaac had opened his mouth, Stiles, Kira, and even Liam had hissed at him to be quiet, but Mr. Parrish, having been greatly offended, set the book aside and addressed the entire party.

"It has become clear to me," he said, sounding very much hurt, "that young people nowadays are only interested in those books which are written solely for their amusement, and not for their betterment in knowledge and wisdom. This amazes me, for there certainly cannot be anything more advantageous as the acquisition of knowledge. But if these young people do not wish to hear the wise words of this book, I shall not deign to speak them anymore."

As soon as he was done with his speech, Mr. Parrish turned to Mr. Stilinski and asked him if he would agree to challenge him to a game of backgammon. Mr. Stilinski accepted and, seeing how dejected Mr. Parrish was over Isaac's interrupted, remarked that it was for the best to leave the young people to their own devices. Mrs. Yukimura, Stiles, and Kira attempted to apologize for Isaac's rude behavior, but after Mr. Parrish assured them multiple times that he bore Isaac no ill will, they went about their business while Mr. Parrish set up at another table to play backgammon with Mr. Stilinski.


End file.
